Bringing Kagome Back
by DemonSaya
Summary: Chapter 2 Posted. Something happened to Kagome after she was kidnapped by Naraku. Something that broke her body and spirit. Can Inuyasha help Kagome return to who she once was, or will she forever be a shell of herself? Currently Restructuring
1. ZERO

_AN: Since I keep getting bugged about doing something with this story, I'm doing something. I've finally begun a restructure that should make the story's path a bit more clear for me. I also noticed that I have a bad habit of bringing Naraku back in the future. Certain things in this story MIGHT change. I still haven't decided everything yet. Thanks for your patience!_

**WARNING: This story implies to rape and contains swearing and violence. If you have issues with any of those things, DO NOT READ. I don't want flamed because someone read this not knowing.**

Bringing Kagome Back

By: Demonsaya

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**0**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They had found her in the the deepest, darkest corner of Naraku's palace. Looking at her made all of them cringe, as though they could feel her pain. Long deep cuts ran along Kagome's sides, down her thighs from cruel claws. Dirt covered her body from being carelessly tossed to the ground. One of her ankles was swollen twice it's normal size, obviously sprained or broken. Her torso was covered in dark welts, bruises from punches no doubt taken for fighting back. Slashes from a whip covered her back, a painful looking mesh of blood. She looked like he had taken her down there and spent days torturing her.

He probably had enjoyed every minute of it.

She lay curled up in a ball on the floor, her eyes holding a dead appearance. Tears flowed freely down her bruised face. Her hair hung limp and lifeless in front of her face. The look on her face was one neither of the two who had discovered her had ever seen on her face before.

Complete hopelessness.

Miroku had reached out to her, trying to coax her to her feet, to comfort her, to let her know her friends were there, that they would help her.

That was when Kagome made the first noise she'd made since Miroku and Shippou had found her.

She screamed.

The sound had echoed through the room, and then the castle, till it floated up to the level where Inuyasha, Sango, and Kouga were facing off with Naraku. It caused something to snap inside of the hanyou and with a hard swing of Tetsusaiga, he destroyed the demon.

Looking back to that now, Inuyasha realized his demon blood had screamed right along with the girl. He had _known_ she was hurt. Instinctively, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he had known. Like some deep forgotten part of himself had felt her pain when he'd heard that tortured, terrified sound. He realized at that instant his demon blood had already made the decision his human side was hesitating over.

It was then that he realized that he loved Kagome.

Inuyasha glanced towards where Kagome lay against the floor of Kaede's hut, still bruised and battered. The girl's eyes were closed in troubled sleep, tears dancing at the corners of her eyes. She would twitch back and forth, whimpering softly in her sleep, like her soul was broken.

Each whimper broke his heart.

He could still remember after they had destroyed Naraku and ran down to find what had happened to Kagome. He couldn't remember being so terrified in his life of what the might find.

At the entry to the room their friends were in, Sango and Kouga halted, horrified. Yet, he had moved forward, slowly, like he was in a trance. He moved silently towards the girl who looked like someone had ripped her soul away. Kagome was sitting at that point, still screaming, her eyes wide, terrified, terrifying, tears pouring down her face, pausing only to draw breath when she would let out another ear-piercing scream that threatened to deafen him.

Miroku said something, tried to stop him, but he had just shook off the priests grasp, moving towards the woman he loved, a woman who was hurting.

He had smelled the scent of male orgasm all over her, Naraku's scent, from several feet away, and he hesitated, but only for a moment. When he finally reached her side and gently rested his fingers lightly against her lips. The finger just barely trembled as it came in contact with them, but he held it there gently. He brought his lips close to her ear and whispered two words softly against it.

"I'm here."

And she'd stopped screaming.

He watched the heart-broken girl every day since, never asking questions, keeping their well-meaning, but sometimes too nosy friends from pushing her too hard. If they brought it up, he'd simply shake his head, giving them a firm look.

They'd been upset at first. Now they were just confused. They didn't have noses as sensitive as his own. Shippou was too young to understand what some of the smells that had been on Kagome's body actually were.

They didn't know the bastard had raped her.

Inuyasha's eyes saddened as he looked where the girl lay. They'd been in the village for days, but she wasn't asking to go home. She didn't seem to want to go see her family. It was as if she were scared to go back to her time. He didn't understand. He knew her mother. Her mother would help her through this.

But he didn't ask why.

Instead, he coaxed her to eat what she could and held her hair back when the memory of what had happened stressed her out so badly that she vomited profusely. He stood guard while she bathed everyday, scrubbing at her skin till it was red and nearly bleeding, trying to get something only she could feel off. He let her cry on his shoulder when the nightmares got so bad that she woke up screaming all over again.

Like the one she was building up to now.

He decided on a preemptive strike. Slowly, silently, Inuyasha stood, walking towards the sleeping girl and knelt beside her head. One hand reached down and smoothed her tangled, matted hair, while the other gently shook her awake. "Kagome..." He said quietly, bringing his lips close to her ear.

Her final whimper died into a groan and she opened her eyes slowly, releasing the tears that stood in them. Immediately, her eyes sought his and she relaxed a bit. She could see the concern in his beautiful golden eyes as he looked down at her and bit her lip, looking away. It hurt sometimes to see that concern. She knew she was causing them all to worry more by not telling anyone what happened, but that meant reliving it, and she just couldn't live if Inuyasha turned his back on her. She didn't read into his gaze, but sometimes it seemed that he was looking at her with such loving eyes that it hurt. "Sorry, Inuyasha. I'm okay now..." She lied.

Her voice sounded dead, like there was no emotion in her anymore. Like someone had broken that part of her that made her 'Kagome'. "Are you sure?" He asked softly, pulling his hands back. He shouldn't touch her. She probably didn't feel comfortable with him even this close. He received the expected response and sighed, looking away. She wasn't okay. He wished she would accept that and let him help. "Are you thirsty? I could get you some water...and I think Kaede has some Miso left from dinner..." If she wouldn't let him take care of the emotional issues, he could at least try to take care of the physical discomforts.

"Just leave me alone, please..." She whispered. She knew he was trying to help, but every time he treated her with kindness, she felt like he pitied her. She didn't want his pity. She wanted, needed his love

He lowered his gaze. So tonight she was going to be stubborn. He felt a bit of that hanyou annoyance and arrogance return. "Kagome, if you don't eat something, you're gonna get sick."

"I'll be fine. Leave me alone..." She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away from him.

Inuyasha moved to stand, then stopped. 'Leave her alone? How can I leave her like this?' He could look at her face and saw the pain there, plain as day. His hands curled into fists slowly, claws biting into his skin. 'She's hurting. She's hurting because I wasn't strong enough to protect her. Because we didn't get there fast enough.' With a sigh, he reached into her bag, pulling out a bottle of water. He uncapped it and forced it into her hand. "Please, at least drink some water..." He said softly.

She knocked the bottle away. "_I said leave me alone!_" She hissed, trying to look angry. She saw the startled look on his face and shame hit her. Quickly, she looked away.

He could leave it. He probably should. But he'd had enough. She was going to kill herself if she kept this up, and he was not going to watch her die. He could handle her being quiet as long as she took care of her body. The heart could heal later. But she wasn't letting anyone help her. She was drowning herself in her own misery, not letting anyone extend a hand to help her. "No." Inuyasha said finally. He kept his voice soft, but firm.. He saw the shock on her face and bared his teeth at her slightly. "We are going to talk." He said evenly, slipping one hand under her shoulders and the other under her knees.

The feeling of arms around her brought the memories back in a flash. She began to fight him, feeling fear welling up inside her. "No! _Let me go!_" She flailed her arms and kicked her feet, trying to get him to drop her, anything, just to get away from him.

Everyone in the hut startled awake and looked towards where Inuyasha was partially holding, partially restraining the girl. Sango looked nervously from the hanyou to the girl, but didn't interfere. Miroku gently caught Shippou by the scruff as the tiny demon lunged at Inuyasha.

Good. There was still some fight in her. That should make this easier. Inuyasha stood fluidly, looking towards their friends. "We'll be back later." He said firmly, then walked out of the hut, holding the screaming flailing girl tight against his chest.

Kagome continued fighting, but she was tired, and weak, and Inuyasha was holding her against him in such a way that her struggles were very, _very_ ineffective. Slowly, her body turned against her and her struggles weakened and finally died, not too far from Go Shinboku.

When the struggles died, he relaxed a bit, turning the holding into something more tender, more comforting. When they reached the tree, he set her down on the grass, his face perturbed. They had to be a good distance from the village, because he was more than slightly sure this was going to get moderately ugly, and he didn't need a bunch of the villagers getting pissed because they were woken up by one of their screaming matches. "Dammit, woman, are you trying to kill yourself?!" He snapped, but his voice was laced with worry.

She didn't meet his gaze.

Frustration grabbed him in the chest. "Kagome, LOOK AT ME!" He finally yelled. He hadn't raised his voice at her since this happened.

Slowly, Kagome lifted her gaze and met his. There were so many emotions in his eyes it was hard to make them all out. But right there in the forefront was concern. Right beside frustration and annoyance. Shame grabbed her and her heart bled. This was Inuyasha. The man who'd managed to get her to stop screaming after they found her, the one who carried her the whole way back in his arms, not on his back. The one who'd stood vigilant guard while she tried to wash the feel of Naraku off her body. He'd spoon fed her soup when she was too weak to feed herself, was always there to comfort her when she woke up after reliving those memories in her sleep. Her lower lip began to tremble. Yes, this was Inuyasha. The man she trusted with her life, the man she loved. With an anguished cry, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "He...Inuyasha...he..."

Inuyasha slowly, hesitantly put his arms around her, making sure to keep them around her shoulders, where there were fewer wounds. He listened to her ragged sobs and bit his lip roughly, running one hand over the back of her head to calm her. "You don't have to talk about it." He said softly. "You do, however, need to take care of yourself, or you wont get better."

She pushed back, looking at him in confusion. Why didn't he want to know? Everyone else had been trying to get her to talk about it, but Inuyasha seemed uninterested. "Don't you want to know?" She asked, biting her lip. "Everyone has been practically begging me to tell them, yet you tell me 'I don't have to'? Don't you CARE?!" She was so confused. What was wrong with her?

A frown turned down his lips and he grabbed her biceps, seeing that she was about to get up and run away. "Don't be stupid, Kagome." He snapped. He saw her jaw drop and huffed. "Of course I care." His voice was gruff, but gentle. "But I already know. I've known from the beginning. I could smell Naraku on you the whole way back." He released her slowly. "No point making you relive something to someone who already knows..." He looked away.

Kagome's eyes widened, then filled with tears. Little memories popped in of how he would simply wave the others away when they started asking questions, how he'd give them warning looks now and then when their questions go a bit too close to home. A cry left her lips and she burrowed into his chest. "Why? Why couldn't he have just killed me?" She whimpered.

Fear knifed through him and Inuyasha pushed her back, keeping his hands tight on her shoulders. "Kagome, don't ever say that again!" He growled. He bit his lip hard so hard it bled and thought for a moment before he spoke. "At least this way...you're still alive...At least this way, you can heal and live...and..." his voice broke a bit. "You're my best friend." He admitted, not willing to say more. "So don't talk about dying."

A tear slowly wound down Kagome's face at his word. "I wish I could just go back to my life before I was drug here..." She whispered, lowering her head so Inuyasha couldn't see the pain in her eyes. "If I'd never come here, this never would have happened..." She finished, squeezing her eyes shut, releasing a second tear down the opposite cheek.

It splashed on Inuyasha's hand.

He dropped his hands and looked away. "I know..." He whispered. He'd thought about it constantly since she'd been taken in the first place. If only he hadn't made her come back that last time. Maybe this wouldn't have happened. "I'm sorry...Maybe..." He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut. "You'd be better off going home, Kagome. Away from this time, back to your mother. She could help you..." He curled his hands into fists against the grass, an unspeakable pain in his chest. With an option like that thrust in her face, there was no doubt in his mind that she would take it in a heartbeat. And when she was gone...he'd be alone. Again.

She lifted her head slowly, staring at him in shock. 'Go home?' She wondered in disbelief. She saw his ears lowered close against his hair and somehow, sensed his sadness. She reached towards him, moments away from stroking those ears when a horrible realization hit her. "But...If I go home..." She took a slow breath to steady herself. "How can I tell them? What if they try to marry me off...what if I get pregnant...I can't take that, Inuyasha..." She felt a tear roll down her face when two golden eyes met hers. "I can't deal with it alone, Inuyasha..." She wrapped her hands around one of his fists, her eyes terrified. "Come with me. Please. I can't deal with this alone."

To go with her, be by her side? There was nothing he wanted more. He shook his head slowly. But the world was against them, and so was time. "I don't belong there, Kagome...I don't fit in." He looked away, his face serious. She was crying. He hated it when she cried "Besides, you'll get hurt again, and it'll be my fault. Just like it was this time." She'd be better off going home and staying there. Finding a nice human mate like that Hoho kid. Someone who could buy her nice things. Someone she wouldn't get ridiculed or insulted for loving.

Kagome stared at him, seeing the defeated slump in his posture. "You don't mean that!" She whispered fiercely. "And I don't care if you 'don't fit in'. I need you for this. I need you to help me make it through. I can't go on alone, Inuyasha. I need you there." Please don't leave me...Please...she mentally begged, reaching towards him.

"Keh..." Her plea had left him weak. Physically, he was trembling. It didn't help that there was nothing he wanted more than to do what she was asking him. But she would eventually get hurt, or someday she would finally did go off and get married to some human from her time? He would see it, he would have to watch her live her happily ever after without him...

"Please, Inuyasha..."

That took what little will he had left to resist her away. He would follow her anywhere she wanted, anyways. "Alright..." He finally whispered, resting his other hands on hers. He blinked in shock when suddenly Kagome's arms were around his chest, squeezing the air out of him. An exasperated sigh left him and he smiled a bit, putting his arms around her and pressing his nose into her hair. "We should go back to the hut." He said gruffly. Gently he shifted her in his arms and stood in a single, fluid motion. "Go ahead and sleep, Kagome, we'll return to your world tomorrow..." He said holding her against his chest. "And I'll stay as long as you need me there."

She gave a small smile, the first in several days and rested her cheek against his shoulder. "Thank you, Inuyasha..." She whispered softly, closing her eyes and falling into a fitful sleep for the first time in weeks.

Inuyasha watched her sleep as he walked through the dark forest, his eyes soft and sad. It may kill him, but he would stay with her. He would stay by her side and help her heal and be the constant she needed. The constant she'd always been for him. Then, god help him, when she didn't need him any more, he would do the right thing and step aside. She didn't need a hanyou dragging her down for the rest of her life.

When he reached the hut, he sat on the floor and lay her down as well, letting her rest her head against his lap. He remained vigilantly awake, watching over her and their friends while the humans all slept.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

_AN: Yeah, so I deleted all the old chapters of this. Please don't kill me, I still have them. I'm just going to post them as I go. I thought about deleting the story altogether, but...decided not to. . ; Anyways, you know the drill, love it, hate it, tell me what you think. This is actually about a page and a half longer than the original version of this chapter (as in the previous restructure). All I really did was go through and add or subtract things. I went a lot more descriptive in a few parts. It'll probably get more so. Consider yourself warned._


	2. ONE

_AN: After much nagging and griping and groaning from the readers (You know who you are), I've begun revising this...three years after my last update. As you may notice, the old chapters are gone. Why? Because changes are being made, and because I lost omentum on the old line of thought. I'm also sick of 'return of the psycho bastard Naraku'. I think This time around the psychotic rapist turd will remain dead, since his bad karma from the last life has made it impossible for him to be reincarnated as anything higher up than a lowly spider. Maybe he'll do some good in that form. Anyways, enjoy._

_Oh, and BTW, if you haven't read chapter Zero in awhile, you should re-read it. That too has been reconstructed._

**WARNING: This story implies to rape and contains swearing and violence. If you have issues with any of those things, DO NOT READ. I don't want flamed because someone read this not knowing.**

Bringing Kagome Back

By: Demonsaya

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**1**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

He was still awake when the sky turned pink and the sun kissed the horizon. He was still awake when Kaede stirred and sat upright. He didn't even glance her way, instead, staring out the window, pondering his choice, their choice. Kagome's hand was tangled with one of his, his free hand gently finger-combing her hair.

It was the first peaceful sleep she'd had since they'd found her. Probably longer.

He didn't dare think it was his presence that soothed her. He decided earlier that evening that it was more likely to be the act of talking about it, the forward momentum of making a decision about 'what's next', that had soothed the girl. He was just providing a steady hand, someone to grab hold of and cling to when she started to slip. Someone that could help her up and keep her moving forward when she faltered.

It wasn't a job he was used to.

He could feel Kaede's eyes on him. He didn't care. Right now, getting Kagome back to normal was more important than his pride. It was more important than anything.

"It seemed the talk you two had last night did her some good." Kaede said, calmly. "Did she tell ye anything?"

He didn't look at her. "I'm taking her to her time today, and we're going to stay there for awhile." He said quietly. When the old woman clucked in disapproval, he turned an angry glare on her. She was fussing with a pot of water over the stove. "I've known what happened to Kagome from the start. Maybe not all the details, but I know what he did to her. She didn't have to tell me." He looked back to the window, forcing the strokes in the girl's hair to be steady and constant.

"Then what happened?"

"None of your fucking business, babaa." He snapped. That damn cluck again. "Kagome isn't ready to talk about it, and I'm not going to betray her trust." He heard others stirring and felt his irritation growing. They'd better keep their damn mouths shut and their comments and questions to themselves.

Miroku glanced around as he sat and took notice of the much more relaxed Kagome and breathed a sigh of relief. "So, she is feeling better?"

"I don't know." Inuyasha said bluntly.

"She looks better." He gently shook Sango, who sat abruptly, the fox demon falling from her arms.

"Kagome?!" Her eyes met Miroku's who gestured with a hand towards where Inuyasha sat. When she saw the girl sleeping soundly, she felt tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. A glance at Inuyasha's face warned her not to say anything or ask anything. He already looked drawn tight enough to snap under the faintest pressure, and pushing a hanyou to the breaking point didn't seem like a good idea.

Inuyasha ignored all of them, keeping his attention on the slight girl who used his thigh as a pillow. Her back was to him, and he could see the faint markings through her bandages. He wished he'd taken his time killing Naraku. He wished he could have made the bastard hurt as badly as he'd made Kagome hurt. Her bandages would need changed soon. The ones on her legs were turning pink as well.

He didn't want her mother to see her like this...

Pain hit him like a fist in the stomach and he bit his lip. What would he do if her mother blamed him? What if she made him leave and kept Kagome there? What would happen to her? She'd begged him to come with her, to help her through...

He'd have to discuss it with Kagome before they got to her time.

"Inuyasha, the food's done..." Kaede said calmly, noting the tornado of emotions going on in the hanyou.

He looked at her, his eyes clearing, and he nodded. Gently, he brushed Kagome's hair back from her face. He hated waking her when she was sleeping so peacefully, but she needed food. "Kagome, it's time to wake up." He said softly, keeping his touch gentle and calming, so she wouldn't freak out when she woke.

As she stirred, her face scrunched up in a way that he found very cute and he felt a smile tug the corners of his lips. When her eyes opened, however, they were wary. He watched her sit carefully and flinched when she winced in pain.

"How do you feel today, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, passing her a bowl of soup. Then, with a faint tease in his voice, he continued. "Did you sleep well?"

Inuyasha glared at him in a way that suggested pain and death.

Kagome blushed, lowering her gaze. "Well enough." She said quietly. She accepted a bowl of soup and took a few sips, her eyes focused inwards, as though deep in thought. Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder if she was regretting her decision to return home, or if it was the invitation for him to come with her. Inuyasha watched her eat closely, hoping she'd finish the light broth. He was disappointed when she sat the bowl down half-empty. "I should pack..." She said softly. When she winced, trying to move towards her things, he decided that was enough.

"Sit still." He snapped at her. "Finish the damn soup; I'll pack." He felt several pairs of stunned eyes staring at him, before a few of them turned into glares. He rolled her sleeping bag quickly, then stuffed her things into her bag, careful not to damage anything. He didn't care what the other's thought. This was for her. Everything was for her, to help her. When the bag was packed, he set it by the door and then sat back against the wall, finding Kagome still staring at him, half-empty bowl of soup in front of her. He gave her an irritated look and then glared at the others. "We'll go when you're done." He said evenly.

"I'm really not that-"

"Eat it." He dead-panned, his eyes flicking back to her and pinning her down. He saw her lower lip trembling and softened his tone. "You don't have to rush, but we're not leaving until that bowl is empty."

He was relieved when she obediently picked up the bowl and began taking small sips.

When he glanced around, he saw expressions ranging from irritation to understanding. He turned abruptly and looked out the window. She would get better. She had to.

Almost an hour later, when everyone had finished their second bowls, Kagome set down her bowl, which was more than three quarters of the way empty, but still had soup in the bottom. She looked miserably towards him and shook her head. "I can't eat the rest. I feel like I'm going to be sick." She said softly.

Everyone sucked in a breath, waiting for the explosion. What they expected and what they got were very, very different.

Inuyasha looked towards the trembling girl and nodded. At least she tried. It was more than she'd eaten in a long time. "Then we'll go." He said, standing in a single motion and offering the girl a hand. When the trembling hand slipped into his, he helped her pull herself into a standing position, not rushing her, just making the trip easier.

"Where exactly are you two going?" Miroku leered, wincing when Sango smacked the back of his head.

Inuyasha had shouldered the bag and was still holding Kagome's hand when he looked back at them over his shoulder. "I'm taking her home." He said softly. Then, they walked out the door, neither saying good bye. His eyes roved back and forth, ears tracking sounds as they walked into the forest. Her fingers were laced through his, holding his hand tightly. He kept his own grip easy, taking his time as they walked. He took the opportunity to memorize the feel of her hand wrapped around his, the feel of her shoulder brushing his. It might be the last moments he got to spend with her, so he had to enjoy it while it lasted. "We need to talk." He said softly.

"Again?" She sounded weary.

When they reached the well, he stopped and arms length away from it and released her hand. It dropped to her side like a useless limb. "Not about that..." He said softly. "It's about..." He hated telling anyone he was afraid, but this worried him. "Kagome, your mother might not let me stay when she finds out..." He said quietly.

Her jaw dropped and she stared at him. His hands were fisted, his head lowered. He looked ashamed. "Of course she will-"

"Not when she finds out it's my fault!" He lifted his head, his face upset. "If I was faster...if I'd gotten there sooner..." He saw the understanding on her face and turned away, not wanting to see her hate him or pity him. He wasn't sure which would be worse.

"I don't want her to know about it yet, anyways." She said softly. "I don't want to have to relive it, and if...if anyone knows-" She shook her head. "So we'll keep it secret, okay?"

"What about your wounds?" He looked up at her face, seeing the faded remains of what had been ugly bruises.

She shrugged. "I got hurt in a fight." She said softly. "Don't worry." She blushed, looking up at him, her face nervous. "You can bandage me up."

He closed his eyes and a dry chuckle escaped his throat. "This is a role reversal...but I don't remember being this compliant about letting you bandage my wounds..." He lifted his gaze, and she saw pain in his eyes.

She extended her hand, giving him a brave smile. "Ikuzo, Inuyasha." She said softly.

He smiled a bit and nodded, taking her hand in his and he gently helped her get onto his back. Then, he jumped into the well. He felt the shift in his stomach and bit his lip. He wasn't comfortable in her time, with it's weird customs and clothes and smells, but he'd promised, and she was worth all the discomfort in the world. Hell, she'd pretty much earned it. He landed lightly at the bottom of the well and crouched carefully so she could put her feet beneath her. As they walked up the steps, he noticed that she was trying to act like she was fine again. He set a gentle hand between her shoulder blades and took a deep breath. "It'll be okay." He said softly.

She looked towards him and gave him a slightly pained smile. It almost looked more like a grimace. "I'm glad you're here." She said, taking a steadying breath.

They didn't say anything else as they left the well house and headed towards Kagome's home. Her grandfather looked up from where he stood sweeping and saw Kagome walking to the house and he pulled out a seal to use on Inuyasha, grinning victoriously. This one was bound to work-

Then, he noticed Kagome stumble a bit, and the hanyou moved faster than sight, and suddenly, Kagome was upright, supported by her elbows, the hanyou's chest close to the girl's back. As the old man watched, the demon leaned forward, whispering something into the girl's ear and she blushed a bit, nodding. His face softened, saddened. There was something different about the chemistry between the pair. Something had happened in the other world that had changed something...

"Come on, wench..." Inuyasha mumbled, releasing her elbows, his face a bit awkward. He stuffed his arms into his sleeves and took his place at her side, keeping his gaze averted. "But this time, watch your feet..." He glanced over at her, not turning his face, just peering out of the corner of his eyes.

There was a sweet kind of blush on her face, and he felt his heart skip a beat. It was the closest to looking back to normal he'd seen her in what felt like ages. She mumbled a soft thank you and then pushed open the front door. "Tadaima!" She called out, thankful of Inuyasha's supportive presence behind her.

Her mother peeked around the kitchen door, looking surprised. "Kagome! You're..." She spotted the bruises that faintly tinged several places on her daughter's face and she came marching over, gently grasping her daughter's face. "Baby, what happened?!"

Kagome swallowed hard, a flash of memories pouring around her. The back of a hand hitting her face. The sound of her clothing tearing. She was about to collapse when a gentle hand touched her shoulder, grounding her.

"She got caught up in something during the last fight." Inuyasha said. "I was distracted and didn't get to her in time." It was the truth, only a little altered. "The bastard that did it is dead."

Her mother relaxed, then spotted the completed jewel around her daughter's neck. "Then, the mission's over? It's done?!" She hugged her daughter. "You get to stay home?!"

Kagome took a steadying breath, trying to calm herself. "Yeah. For awhile, at least. I still want to go back and visit my friends there..." She felt his hand gently squeeze her shoulder. "I'm kind of tired..." She said softly. She looked towards Inuyasha and gave him a weak attempt at a smile. "I'm gonna take a nap."

He nodded, then felt the older Higurashi woman scrutinizing him as Kagome walked upstairs. He turned his gaze to the woman and saw a unreadable expression on her face.

"Are you staying?" She asked, not beating around the bush.

He met her gaze with a steady one. He wouldn't waver on his decision. "For awhile." He said evenly. "She wants me to." And I would do anything for her. He didn't say the rest. But it was running through his head when he heard the door open, admitting Grandpa. He looked towards the old man and saw him looking at him with an appraising expression. It made him uncomfortable. "There something wrong with that?" He asked, returning his gaze to Kagome's mother.

The woman sighed. There was something wrong. She could practically feel it. Something very wrong with her daughter, and this boy knew what. "No. But when she's ready to talk, I'd better be the first one she talks to." She said crossly.

Inuyasha went deathly still and looked at the woman. He didn't know what to say. After a few steadying breaths, he spoke. "Fine." He said quietly. "I'm going up." He said evenly, not waiting for her response. He headed towards the stairs and walked up them slowly. Regardless of what the woman said, he wasn't going to force her to tell her mother until she was ready. Sometimes it was easier to talk to someone else, someone you trust. Not that he'd know. The only person he'd ever felt like he could say anything to, the only person he knew wouldn't judge him, was Kagome.

He hit the top step and heard the sound of her trying to cry quietly. Ragged breaths, soft sniffles. She was a wreck. He sighed, walking to the door and knocked on it lightly. When she didn't answer, he simply opened the door and walked in. She was curled up on the bed with her back to the door. He closed the door quietly, resting against it.

"I'm okay." She said, lied. A slight turn revealed she'd tried rubbing the tears from her eyes.

He closed his eyes, sighing. "No, you're not. Not yet." He watched her jump a bit and she turned to face him fully. There was a great deal of pain in her eyes. He pushed off the door, walking towards her. When he reached her side, he sat beside her, leaning against her headboard, staring out the window at the cloud-filled sky. "You're not okay, yet. No one who'd been through what you went through would be." He heard her soft sobs and slowly returned his gaze to look at her. "But you will be."

Kagome's lower lip trembled and she turned her face into his shoulder, hiding the tears falling down her cheeks. She felt his hand rest on hers and bit her lip. There was such certainty in his voice. He really believed in her ability to bounce back from emotional trauma. She squeezed her eyes shut, releasing a few more tears down her cheeks. "It wasn't supposed to be like this..." She whispered, her voice cracking from the force of a sob.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, feeling powerless. He hated it when she cried, and she'd been doing an awful lot of crying lately. He took a steadying breath and slipped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her against his side. There was nothing he could say to comfort her. Everything he could think of were empty words. He wasn't good at words. Action he could do. Action was the easy part. Action didn't require prior thought.

So he simply sat beside her, letting her use his haori as a tissue, periodically smoothing her hair until her sobs died to sniffles and she slipped into a deep sleep. Gently, he eased her down onto her bed and sat upright, looking down at her red, slightly blotchy face. His face softened and he cleared away a tear with a gentle finger. It clung to his skin as he lifted it to his mouth and licked it away.

It tasted bitter.

She would be okay. It might take awhile, maybe years, but eventually, she'd be herself again. He just didn't want to think about what would happen between now and then. For now, he just wished he could take her pain away.

That reminded him of the wounds on her back and he gently rolled her onto her side. The pink had seeped through her shirt. He sighed. He'd tell her later, and he'd make sure that the bandages were changed before she went to bed that night.

There was nothing else he could do.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kagome woke to find a blanket had been draped across her sleeping form. Her eyes felt dry and swollen as she sat up and looked around sleepily. She was alone in the room. It was almost midday from the shadows in the room. So where was...

The door opened and Kagome saw the hanyou walk in, a large bowl full of water in his hands. He paused, looking at her, a wary expression on his face. "We need to change your bandages." He said softly. "Everyone else is gone for now." He set the bowl on her desk and fished out her first aid kit. "I figured it would be a good time."

She watched as he turned towards her and she saw a trace of worry there. "Oh..." She blushed, lowering her own gaze as she realized where the worst wounds were. Before she could dwell on it much, Inuyasha was on the bed beside her, coaxing her out of her shirt with a care that silenced the objections that rose to her lips. When the shirt was off, he stilled. She blushed, tugging the end of the bandage loose and she silently turned her back to him.

"Tomorrow I'll go back to my time while you're at school and pick up the herbs from Kaede." He said softly as he began to unwrap the bandages from her torso. She was shaking like a leaf and he bit his lip. "We could go back and let Sango and Kaede deal with these..." He said quietly. "I'd probably mess them up anyways..."

She looked back at him and saw the sad understanding on his face. She wanted to laugh it off, to make him feel better, but couldn't. "No." She said softly. "It's fine." She lowered her gaze to the comforter and bit her lip.

He saw her discomfort, but continued unwrapping the bandage regardless. When he reached the last layer, he found that he'd guessed correctly. The bandages had stuck to the wounds. He reached into the bowl with one hand, withdrawing the sponge and squeezing out the excess water. Gently, he dabbed the red bandage, loosening it from the girl's skin.

She jumped a bit, startled. Warm water trickled down some of her bare skin.

"Sorry." He said softly. "The bandages are stuck. Wetting them should make them come off easier..." He explained, gently sponging her back. As he peeled the last layer of bandage away, he wanted to kiss each wound on her back to soothe them. They looked red and angry, and some of them had reopened from her fighting him the night before. When the bandage was finally off, he gently sponged off the wounds, feeling her periodic flinching. When the gentle sponge bath was finished, he set the sponge back in the bowl and picked up the roll of bandages, preparing to finish bandaging her up. When he looked at her back, he couldn't keep himself from gently tracing one of the lash marks with a finger.

Kagome felt the gentle touch against her skin and turned her head to look at him. There was so much pain on his face. Pain he felt for her. Pain and guilt. Her eyes widened as their conversation prior to returning came back to her. He really did blame himself. It wasn't worry that her mother would blame him. He honestly thought that it was his fault. She saw the bandages in his hand and blushed. "Um, could I go get a bath before you finish?" She asked softly. She lowered her gaze when he looked at her.

He stared at the faint blush on her face and bit his lip. A soft sigh escaped him and he shrugged out of his haori, draping it around her shoulders. "Here. To keep you covered. It shouldn't stick to the wounds." He let his hands rest on her shoulders for a little longer than necessary before straightening and getting off her bed. He politely turned his back to her while she stood, and he listened to the soft sound of her feet on the carpet.

She paused at the door, glancing back at him. "Inuyasha...?"

He turned, glancing at her as well. "Yeah?" He asked softly.

"Thank you." Then, she turned the doorknob and disappeared into the hall way. She padded on the carpeted floor, then pushed open the door to the bathroom, closing and locking it behind her. She hadn't seen the damage yet. Most of the bruises had faded, and her ankle had almost healed, but Naraku had rubbed Miasma into the gashes on her body, making them slow to heal.

She shed the clothing, slowly, wincing as she moved. The faint tugging was a constant reminder that she'd mistreated her wounds last night, and now she was paying the price. Every move hurt. She saw the full length mirror on the opposite wall and walked resolutely towards it. She was strong. She could do this. She would do this. Taking a deep breath, she turned her back to the mirror and looked over her shoulder at the patterned lash-marks. She felt her lungs seize and pain filled her.

Her once flawless skin was now a mesh of red lines, some slightly oozing blood. Tears filled her eyes and a cry of denial was ripped from her lips. "NO!" Before she had realized she'd collapsed, she felt the cold tile beneath her knees and she was curled into a ball around herself, shaking wit the force of her sobs. "No...No..." She covered her face. No wonder everyone was horrified when they found her. She was ugly. She'd never been ugly. She'd always thought she was pretty, but-

There was a loud pounding on the door. "Kagome! Kagome!"

It was Inuyasha. The one who'd gently tried to nurse her back to herself. The one who believed in her. Or was he really just trying to make her better so he could leave her? "Noooo..." She moaned, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking back and forth.

"Dammit, wench, open this damn door, before I smash it down!"

She buried her face into her hands and continued to sob, unable to control the pain inside her. She was going to scar. She didn't have a hanyou's healing abilities, and she'd scar. She'd be ugly-

Inuyasha continued pounding on the door, trying to get Kagome to open the door. He felt powerless. She'd locked him away from her, and now she was in pain and he couldn't get to her to help her. With a growl, he threw his weight against the door, preparing to knock it down.

A small hand grabbed the back of his yukata and stopped him. "Mom'll skin you if you break down the door." Souta said. He was wearing a worried expression. "Watch." He pulled a paper clip from his pocket and stuck it through a small hole in the doorknob, chewing on his lip as he searched for something. There was an audible click and he turned the doorknob, letting the door open a crack. He seemed to be considering something. He pulled it shut and looked at Inuyasha. "What happened to her last time?"

Inuyasha bit his lip. "I promised her." He said quietly. "I promised I wouldn't tell."

Souta frowned at him. "Then help her calm down. I have homework, and besides...since I don't know, I wouldn't be much help." The boy cracked his knuckles in a very Inuyasha-like move, and glared at him. "But no messing around with my sister."

The hanyou gawked at the boy for two seconds, then shook his head, walking into the bathroom. His eyes found Kagome curled in on herself in front of a full length mirror, shaking from the force of her sobs. His eyes saddened and he closed the door behind him. He found the fluffy pink bath towel that had a "K" on it and moved towards her, then knelt on the ground. He didn't speak as he gently wrapped the towel around her.

"I'm ugly..." Her voice was the barest whisper. "It wasn't enough that he raped me, he had to make sure I'd carry the..." She felt a gentle hand caress her hair in a soothing way. It didn't help. She lashed out at him. "I don't want your pity!" She yelled, sitting up and slapping his hand away.

She expected him to yell at her. She almost wanted it. It would say that things were back to normal, that everything would be alright. She didn't expect the expression on his face to become neutral. Almost cold. It was like he was hiding from her. She watched him rise in one fluid motion and caught his hand before he could leave her.

Inuyasha looked down at her, his face a cool mask. Inside, however, he was hurt and angry. Her icy hand clinging desperately to his couldn't stop him if he decided to leave. He forced himself to stay put.

She pressed her forehead against his hand. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Her heart broke when he pulled his hand away.

Inuyasha looked down at her, wondering what to say. He was still miffed with her, but she looked so defeated, so miserable. Dammit, he thought. When did I get this weak? He dropped to a knee and hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "It's a good thing you don't want my pity." He said evenly. "Because I don't feel sorry for anyone but me." He took a steadying breath. There was such naked emotion in her eyes. It was like the walls that she'd had prior to being kidnapped had been crushed under Naraku's fists. She needed reassurance. He wasn't used to this.

He wasn't used to being the rock that someone leaned against.

"You're not ugly." He said quietly. There was a flicker of hope deep in her eyes before it was trampled by sadness. He dropped his hand away and stood, helping her stand, making sure all her bits were covered. "Now get your shower, wench..." He said stepping back.

She stared at his back, fearing she was reading into his words too much. There was a strange tone in his voice, a gruff affection she'd never heard before. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much that she was so afraid to say. "Inuyasha!" She called, when his hand touched the door knob.

He paused, his ear flicking in her direction. His head turned just slightly, still hidden behind a curtain of silver hair.

She opened her mouth to say that she loved him and the words froze in her throat. She could see him become tense when she didn't speak and sighed. Maybe it wasn't to be. "Thank you." She said softly.

He nodded, then left the bathroom.

She closed her eyes, mentally cursing herself. She had failed. She felt like she'd failed him. Not only had she lost something that she'd wanted him to have, but her courage seemed to have fled her as well, making three simple words seem impossible.

She looked at the mirror and found herself looking at her back, the thin cuts in stark relief against her pale skin. She closed her eyes and sighed. It didn't matter.

Who wanted a broken spirit?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Inuyasha was standing by the window, when she returned. She'd been unaware of the passing of time, but judging by the pink hued sky, the sun was setting. It turned his hair into a purple-pink halo. He had an unreadable expression on his face. He seemed really stiff.

She bit her lip, feeling guilty. Silently, she walked over, standing at the window beside him. She was wrapped in a thin navy yukata. "I didn't mean to yell at you." She said softly, hugging herself. He hummed in a non-committal way and she flinched. A glance saw that stiff mask was still in place. He had gone deep into himself and was hiding from her. She bit her lip and looked out the window. "I'm hurt, and...I took my frustration and fear out on you."

"We need to put the new bandages on." He said evenly, changing the subject. He held up the bandages, not looking at her.

She grabbed his hand, trying to draw his attention. "Inuyasha, please..."

He closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath. Slowly, he looked at her, seeing all the pain and guilt in her eyes. He cursed softly. He was supposed to be helping her, and he was making her worse.

At least she didn't have those doll-like eyes that Kikyou had. Kagome's eyes hid nothing.

"You've tried to help me. You've been trying to support me, to keep me sane, alive..." She rested her forehead on his chest, tears filling her eyes. "It's going to take time for me to..."

He lifted his free hand, cradling the back of her head, holding her gently against him. He pressed his face against the top of her head, wishing he knew what to do to help her. "Like I said." He mumbled, feeling her free hand clinging to his yukata. "You're not okay. But you will be. Healing takes time." And wounds to the spirit were the slowest to heal.

Kagome lifted her head to look at him and found his face mere centimeters from hers. Her heartbeat quickened, and she felt her breaths shallow. Her palms started to sweat. Nerves began jumping through her at the mixed emotions she was experiencing. God help her, she loved him, but he'd loved Kikyou, and she was damaged. She her body was trying to respond to her feelings for this man, as well as the fear of intimacy that Naraku's abuse had instilled in her, and she was left deeply confused.

Inuyasha saw the wariness tinged with fear in her eyes and realized that his lips were so close to hers he could practically taste her breath. His own heart jumped into his throat and he quickly released her, backing away. "Well, let's take care of your back, alright?" He said, looking away from her eyes, before he drowned in them.

Kagome backed away from him as though burned as well. "Uh, yeah." She agreed, sitting sideways on her desk chair. For a moment, Inuyasha had been looking at her in a way that he'd only ever done once or twice in the year they'd known each other. The first memory that came to mind was a time before Kikyou, within a week of the first time she'd seen him as a human. They'd gone back to the village and she'd been trying to get him to look at her, and she was angry. And suddenly, he'd was so close, she could feel the heat of his skin through their clothing, and he'd said something, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.

Then, like now, she'd come to her senses and pulled away.

When the hanyou sat beside her, she shyly unwrapped the back of her yukata and felt Inuyasha spreading something on her back. She jumped at the first gentle contact, and heard him grunt softly.

"It's the salve that Kaede used. I packed some." He said quietly. Hmph. In the past week he'd touched this girl more often than he had in the year they'd spent together, and she still wasn't used to his touch. Gently, he applied the salve to her, using broad, circular motions. Slowly, she relaxed, and even pushed back into his touch a little. He blushed when she did.

She closed her eyes, wishing he was touching her because he wanted to. How anyone could want to when she looked as she did was beyond her. So, she decided he was doing it because she was too weak to do so herself, and lacked the ability to reach her wounds. He must be repulsed by having to touch Naraku's leftover's.

Her scent was thick with sorrow. With a sigh, he passed her the first end of the bandages and began to gently wrap her torso. "You should be more careful. All your moving and struggling with me opened up a lot of these." He chastised gruffly. He watched her shift uncomfortably and paused. "Am I hurting you?"

Silently she shook her head.

He figured that she didn't want him with his hands on her longer than necessary, so he quickly finished what he was doing and pulled the yukata up her back.

"Thank you." She said softly. She shouldn't have asked him to stay, but she couldn't help it. When he was with her, she felt safe, sheltered. She turned in the chair and gave him a small smile. "You're a great friend."

He flinched inwardly, but to his credit, he showed no outward signs. He forced himself to return the smile in the form of a smirk, a signature move. "Damn right I am." He said in a cocky manner that had nothing to do with how he felt inside.

"Dinner!"

Her mother's voice interrupted their thoughts and Inuyasha rose first. "Get dressed. I'll be downstairs." He said standing. He headed towards the door, glancing backwards. "Don't make me come get you." He warned. "You wont get any better if you don't eat."

She gave him a timid smile and nod. "I'll be right down." She said, slowly rising. "Promise."

He reached the doorway, and opened it. He was about to leave when he paused, glancing back at her. "Oh, and Kagome?"

She blinked, turning from her dresser. "Hm?"

He gave her that cocky smirk again and her heart fluttered in her chest. "You're a great friend, too."

Dinner went relatively smoothly. Inuyasha ate a great deal, which made Mrs. Higurashi relieved she'd gone to the market earlier. Souta kept badgering Inuyasha for the details on the fights they'd been in since the last time Kagome had been home, while Grandpa watched the two adolescents carefully.

The body language between them was subtle. The hanyou's hand would rest on Kagome's arm for a moment longer than was necessary, she would lean towards him when he spoke. Eyes that had once been quick to flash in anger, and a voice that used to yell at her had softened into a gruff kind of affection.

The easy light-hearted atmosphere was slightly tainted, however, by the fear that sometimes crept into Kagome's eyes. Her normally hearty appetite was drastically diminished, and it told everyone at the table that something was drastically wrong with the girl.

Only Inuyasha seemed pleased with the amount of food she'd eaten.

Better than this morning. He noted the mostly empty bowl of miso, and the partially eaten rice. When the meal was done, everyone went into the living room and Inuyasha was startled when Grandpa tossed him a spare blanket and pillow. "Huh?"

"If you're staying, you can sleep on the couch." The old man said evenly. "Regardless of the sleeping arrangements in Sengoku Jidai, things will be proper here, and seeing as Kagome is unmarried, it's incredibly inappropriate for you to stay in her room."

Inuyasha wanted to growl at the man, but from the looks he was getting from the other's, Kagome excluded, his opinion wasn't going to sway the decision. Maybe once they knew why he had been keeping so close to her, they would be alright with it. Maybe once they understood he would never hurt her like that.

But not now.

As the other's got ready for bed, he set up to sleep on the couch. He stretched out on the makeshift bed and closed his eyes in the semi-darkness. He was about to dose off when a hand jostled him awake. He sat abruptly, finding Kagome sitting on the edge of the couch. A glance at the clock said it was nearly midnight. "Kagome, you should be sleeping..."

She shook her head. "I can't...Everytime I close my eyes..." She shuddered.

She didn't need to say any more. He sat, patting the couch beside him. Her warmth moved beside him and he sighed when she leaned against him. Awkwardly, he slipped an arm around her shoulders in what he hoped was a comforting way. "It's okay. I'm here." He said softly. "I'll protect you."

"Mama wants me to go to school tomorrow." She whispered, trembling.

He nodded. "I'll stay close." He said softly. "I'll even walk with you if you want."

She turned her face into his yukata, breathing his scent deeply. Before she'd realized it, she'd relaxed, and her eyes drifted shut. She was out in minutes flat.

When she was asleep, Inuyasha carefully adjusted her so that he had her in his arms and pulled her into his lap, enjoying holding her without having to worry about fear in her eyes. He hugged her gently, then eased her back to the makeshift bed. He moved off the couch and sat on the floor, leaning against the couch and pillowing his head beside hers. He stared at her until his eyes fell closed from exhaustion and he finally fell asleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_AN: Holy crap. It's been what? Two years since I updated this fic? Anyways, as I've mentioned before, I'm reconstructing the story, as you may have noticed, since this is definitely not the same "Chapter One" that I'd posted so long ago. I've decided to draw the story out a bit more. Everything kind of happened all at once with the other one. I may or may not bring back evil bastard Naraku, I haven't yet decided. Anyways, here's a long awaited update. If you haven't reread Zero, I suggest you do._


	3. TWO

_AN: After much nagging and griping and groaning from the readers (You know who you are), I've begun revising this...three years after my last update. As you may notice, the old chapters are gone. Why? Because changes are being made, and because I lost momentum on the old line of thought. I'm also sick of 'return of the psycho bastard Naraku'. I think This time around the psychotic rapist turd will remain dead, since his bad karma from the last life has made it impossible for him to be reincarnated as anything higher up than a lowly spider. Maybe he'll do some good in that form. Anyways, enjoy._

_Oh, and BTW, if you haven't read chapter Zero in awhile, you should re-read it. That too has been reconstructed._

**WARNING: This story alludes to rape and contains swearing and violence. If you have issues with any of those things, DO NOT READ. I don't want flamed because someone read this not knowing.**

Bringing Kagome Back

By: Demonsaya

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**2**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kagome's mother always rose with the sun. She was awake an hour before her children rose for school, preparing lunches, reading the newspaper, worked on the budget. She climbed out of bed, showered, dressed, and headed downstairs, only to pause, startled as she entered the living room.

The makeshift bed the hanyou had been using was now occupied by her daughter, who was sleeping, albeit restlessly. He was sleeping in a decidedly uncomfortable looking position, his expression uneasy as well. One of his hands was wrapped around Kagome's gently, while the other had a death grip on the sword at his side. It had been the same for the past two days since Inuyasha had arrived with Kagome. The girl was starting to eat more, but her sleep was still uneasy, and now and then she'd wind up in the bathroom, violently retching into the toilet.

What had stunned the family the most was the behavior of Inuyasha, who had been treating her daughter as though there were no one else in the world. The times when she was sick, he'd hold her hair back, whisper soothingly into her ear. During meals, he would encourage her to eat more, but when she finally said she couldn't eat more, he'd let her stop. He'd been touching her more and more often, in ways that Mrs. Higurashi recognized, even if she hadn't been on the receiving end of those touches in years.

Not since her divorce from Kagome and Souta's father.

She rubbed her neck, watching the pair sleep soundly, while wondering what to do. Inuyasha was in love with her daughter, and she knew that her daughter loved him as well. The girl had told her often enough how deep those feelings ran. But she'd been convinced for so long that he was in love with her previous incarnation. Even Mrs. Higurashi believed that he didn't feel that spark for her daughter that was required for true love. There was affection, friendship, certainly.

But not love.

Not till now.

Idly, she wondered if her daughter realized that the hanyou's feelings for her had deepened well beyond what they had been the last time she'd seen them together. That made her wonder, a bit more anxiously, about what had brought about this change. The change in him, as well as the change in her daughter.

There was no doubt in her mind the two were intrinsically linked.

With a sigh, she decided to let the two continue sleeping until it was time for Kagome to get up. She walked into the kitchen, pondering the situation. It was obvious, to her at least, that Kagome needed Inuyasha nearby in order to sleep. After all, for two mornings now, she'd woken to find the girl curled up on the couch, and Inuyasha sitting on the floor, near her head. It was like he was guarding her. A faint smirk turned up the corners of the older woman's lips as she began to prepare breakfast. "A regular doggoyle..." She muttered, shaking her head.

The previous morning, Inuyasha had walked Kagome to school, wearing merely a hat to hide his most noticeable demon feature, and he hadn't returned. She could only assume that he'd stayed near the school, watching out for her daughter. She shook her head, sighing. She supposed she'd have to find out if there was any way to scrape up the money so the hanyou could attend school as well. How would he respond to being forced into a dress code? How would they hide what he was so that the other students didn't persecute him or worse?

It would take some research.

She heard Souta get up and start his usual cram to get the homework he didn't finish the night before done. A slight smile turned up the corners of her lips. That was something else she'd noticed the day before. While Kagome had been working on her math homework, and stressing because she didn't understand half of it, that dog-eared boy had sat beside her, looked over the chapter, and immediately began showing her how to work out several rather complex equations that even she would have had trouble with.

That boy wasn't stupid, that was for sure.

She wasn't sure if it was his coarse attitude, or his language, but he'd always come across as something of a simpleton. Bitterly sweet and a tad rough around the edges.

Last night, she'd realized that she didn't know nearly as much about Inuyasha as she thought she did.

A weak cry sounded from the living room and she dropped the towel she was holding, hurrying to her daughter's aid. As she left the kitchen, she found she was a bit late.

Inuyasha had woken immediately at the sound of her distress, and presently, she was gathered in a protective embrace, while he stroked her hair, whispering reassurances in her ear. His sleep clouded eyes met hers and she could see he was as haunted as her daughter by whatever had happened. She could see Kagome clinging to him. Her face softened as she watched the two.

"You need to get ready for school, Kagome." Her mother said gently.

Kagome turned, finding her mother looking at her. At them. She wanted to blush, to feel guilty, but she couldn't. She needed Inuyasha's tender care to give her the strength to deal with being around a bunch of boys she barely knew and didn't trust. A sigh escaped her and she slowly pulled from Inuyasha's soothing embrace, biting her lip. "Okay..." She said softly, walking towards the stairs.

Inuyasha watched her go, his eyes worried. It had been a few days since her last nightmare. He'd woken her from that one, but he'd gotten complacent here, and he'd been sleeping through her distress. Not peacefully, but sleeping still. He promised himself to remain awake that night, so that he could wake her before her dreams became too dark.

Mentally, he cursed himself. It was his damn fault. If he'd been stronger, faster, Kagome wouldn't have gone through that emotional agony. If he hadn't been so easily distracted, if he'd been focused on the one who couldn't really defend herself. The one who was new to this...

He bit his lip, fisting his hands in his hair. "Dammit." He cursed softly, trying to steady himself. Kagome needed him to be strong. He couldn't fall apart when she needed him. This was his chance to make it better, to help her piece together the shattered life of a girl that had once been fearless, happy, vibrant. What would it take to wipe the fear from her eyes? To ease the pain in her heart?

"I do wish one of you would tell me what happened."

Her mother's voice caused his head to jerk up, looking at her stern face. He bit his lip, glanging away, feeling a little wary. He should tell her. She had the right to know why her daughter was shattered. But if he told her, Kagome may well hate him.

The woman stared at him, her face turning into a slight frown. "I have the right to know." She said evenly. "She's my daughter."

He lifted his gaze slowly. "It's not my place to say." He said softly. His eyes moved to the stairs and he sighed, looking at the ground. He couldn't live if Kagome hated him. It was bad enough knowing that eventually the girl would be standing on her own feet enough that she would leave him and find some human to take care of her. If she decided she couldn't trust him, she might never heal. He lifted his gaze and saw the mild irritation in her eyes. "Would you break confidence with her?" He asked softly, lowering his gaze to the ground.

"If it was for her own good, yes." Mrs. Higurashi said, seeing the way his shoulders became tense.

He looked up, gaging her response. There was a flicker of indecision in her eyes. "No, you wouldn't. If she asked you not to tell me something, you wouldn't tell me." He said calmly. Slowly, he stood, looking the woman directly in the eye. "Not even this."

When had he become that perceptive? Or had he always been this way, and she'd been too busy seeing the veneer of anger, or annoyance, that she couldn't see this person that rested beneath the hardened exterior. A flicker or realization flashed through her as she looked the boy in the eye. _This_ was who her daughter had fallen in love with. The man beneath the childishness, the arrogance, the anger. The man whose honor and loyalty meant as much to him as his friends, and he would sacrifice none of them.

And she felt a swell of pride that her daughter had found such a man.

"I'm going to make sure she's alright." He said quietly, his hands having curled into fists during her extended silence. He moved to the stairs, figuring the conversation was over.

She watched as he put his foot on the first step and closed her eyes. "You're right." She said quietly. "I'm biased, though." She smiled, opening her eyes, those eyes that were identical to her daughter's. "She's my baby girl."

He nodded shortly, then climbed the steps. There was sadness in that woman's eyes. Not the heart-wrenching grief he found in Kagome's, but sadness still. At least she hadn't cried. When he reached Kagome's room, he lifted his hand, rapping the door lightly with the back of his hand. "Kagome?"

The door creaked open and he found Kagome wearing the green uniform of her school. Her face was still damp from tears and he reached up, unable to stop himself, gently brushing one that still stood in her eye away. "You okay, wench?" He asked gruffly. It wouldn't do to let her know how he felt for her. She was so scared, so hesitant. And he was a male. There was no way she could be comfortable with him; not after being raped. Then why was she so willing to share his company?

Why did she come down to sleep near him?

Probably because she knew he could never take advantage of her that way. He'd never hurt her.

Her lower lip trembled, but she nodded bravely. "No worse than yesterday, right?" She said, giving him a weak excuse for a smile. She knew it wasn't successful in pacifying him because she saw the way his jaw clenched and an unnameable expression flicker in his eyes. "Don't worry, Inuyasha."

"Don't say that." He grumbled, dropping his hand and looking away.

She blinked, confused. His hands were fisted and there was a look of deep frustration in his eyes. "Inuyasha?"

"Don't tell me not to..." He didn't finish, turning an intense gold stare back at her. He pinned her down with his gaze, his eyes fierce. "It's my damn job."

Her gaze softened and she nodded. "You're right." She said, meekly. "I shouldn't-"

He rested a hand lightly against her lips, wincing when he saw it tremble, plain as day. It was effective, however, in silencing the girl. He forced himself not to read into the wide-eyed expression on her own face. "You should finish getting ready. From the smell of it, the foods about done..." He turned, dropping his hand. "I'll wait downstairs..."

She caught his wrist before he could leave her. Slowly, that gold gaze returned to her. She wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. Finally, she released him, her courage sufficiently gone.

He saw the defeated slope to her shoulders and wanted nothing more than to gather her against his chest and hold her, take her pain away. But there was no way he could do that. He would just scare her. "Don't take too long." He said softly. When she nodded, he walked slowly down the stairs, forcing his gaze to remain in front of him until he heard her door close. Then, he glanced back up, an ache in his heart. "Please get better..." He said quietly. "For all our sakes..."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

School was torture.

Slow torture.

She could still feel the faintest tingle on the back of her neck, the sensation of the short hairs standing on end, but even him being close didn't comfort her as much as it should. She knew that the tingle meant that he would hear her if she screamed. Plain as day, he'd hear her. But it would still take a little time for him to get to her, and she wasn't sure how much of this she could take. Boys flanked her on both sides, and it made her distinctly uncomfortable.

Note to self, she thought, her knees squeezed together tightly. If I'm still this nervous next year, I'll get mom to transfer me into an all girl's school...

She forced herself to take notes, wishing that her skirt was longer, or that there were fewer boys in the class, or that she wasn't a blossoming teenage girl, with a decent figure.

Breakfast had been unusually strained, even for now, and it had rubbed on already raw nerves. She knew she could only keep this from her mother for so long, but she didn't want them to know. She didn't want them to treat her differently. She wanted to be Kagome again.

Lately, she didn't feel like that at all.

She caught a flicker of red and silver down by the front gate of the school and glanced out the window, finding Inuyasha standing there, already waiting. The black and red ball cap was already pulled down over his ears. Her lips turned into a slightly sad smile. If only it hadn't taken this to get Inuyasha to be so kind to her. If only he was here because he wanted to be, rather than because she asked him to be.

Then, maybe she wouldn't be so terrified to tell him how she felt.

She bit her lip, lowering her eyes back to her paper in shame. Like Inuyasha would want her anyways. She was damaged. A broken flower, taken by their arch enemy. He probably couldn't stand being anywhere near her. It was why she'd been bathing so much since it happened. No matter what she did, she could still feel the bastards slimy hands on her, touching parts that she had only wanted touched by the hanyou who waited outside for her. Cruel hands with claws that cut into her skin, wielding a whip that left her back scarred beyond recognition. The man who'd mutilated her, made her ugly.

Made her where no man would want her.

Tears of frustration filled her eyes, but she pushed them back. No, she thought. I wont cry. I have to get better, and I wont get better if I spend the rest of my life dwelling on-

Suddenly, pain ripped through her mind and she clutched her head between her hands. She heard the concerned voices of people asking if she was okay, but all she could feel was the pain of being forced to have sex, her virginity torn from her violently. She curled up, not sure when she'd fallen from her chair, not really caring, because the memories were upon her and all she could feel was fear.

Hands touched her, trying to soothe her, but she fought them, backing herself into a corner, her eyes looking blindly at the people in the classroom. Her entire body writhed in pain, screams torn from her throat, her hands clinging to her arms.

Lips on hers, tongue thrusting into her mouth, teeth violently biting her lips.

The back of a hand striking her face when she refused to kiss him back.

The sound of clothing tearing.

And PAIN...

She opened her mouth, preparing to scream again, when she felt familiar hands gently helping her into a seated position. Her mind became confused, because she could feel two sets of hands on hers, one violent, cruel and another, gentle and caring. A voice whispered gently against her ear.

"Kagome, it's okay, I've got you..."

Inuyasha...

Everything drained out of her and she wrapped her arms tightly around his chest, burying her face into his shirt, sobbing.

Inuyasha took a steadying breath. A glance around him found that everyone in the classroom was stunned. A few of them had bruises forming on their forearms from when they tried to approach her. The teacher was in the front of them, wearing a wary expression. "Call her mother." He said calmly. "I'm taking her home." And with that, he slipped one arm under her knees, lifting her gently into his arms. One of the students headed towards the door, and Inuyasha walked that way as well, stepping out into the hallway, ignoring the students that were staring at him and the broken girl he held.

He could hear whispers, and bit his lip fiercely. People would be talking about this tomorrow. When he left the hall, and the school, behind them, he breathed easier. Gently, without thinking, he pressed his lips against her temple. "It's okay, I'm here..." He whispered softly against her hair. She was still clinging to him and crying like her heart was broken.

Needless to say, they drew quite a bit of attention between the school and the Shrine. He supposed they made quite a sight. Someone dressed in feudal garb with pure white hair carrying a school girl who was obviously distraught. He wanted to snort. But he didn't. Instead, he carried the girl up the steps, all the way into the shrine, past grandpa, who was reading the newspaper, then past Mama, who was watching her daytime soap opera's.

Both of them called out to Kagome in concern, but he walked past them, up to her room, gently easing her down onto the bed. He heard people approaching him from behind and ignored them. Gently, he sat on the edge of her bed, tilting her face up. There was a swollen red spot from where she'd hit the floor. "Kagome, what happened?" He asked evenly. He couldn't show too much emotion. He couldn't let her know how terrified he'd been when he'd heard her start screaming.

She shook her head, still not having released his haori from the death grip she had on it. Her eyes were squeezed shut. Everything was still too vivid in her mind. She could still feel it happening on her skin, taste the putrid taste on her tongue. She shuddered, pressing her face further into his chest. "I feel dirty..." She whispered.

He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his face against the top of her head. Dammit. He felt powerless. Like there was nothing he could do to help her. Like there was nothing that he'd ever be able to do for her ever again. He must be the biggest failure of a protector in the world. He couldn't even keep her from being kidnapped. How was he supposed to protect her from her own mind, when it brought those memories back to the forefront of her delicate psyche.

In the short time since the rape, he'd gotten better at holding her, she noticed, feeling the warmth of his breath in her hair. His arms were tightly around her torso, holding her protectively, as if he was trying to shield her from everything. Her eyes saddened. It was his guilt causing this. He only cared because he thought it was his fault.

He smelled her sadness, her pain. A glance found her grandfather and her mother behind him. "Kagome, I have to tell them." He felt her tense and gently pushed her back, noting her fingers further tightening their grasp. He searched her eyes and saw the fear in them and bit his lip. "They're your family, they have a right to know."

She saw her feelings reflected in his and closed her eyes. "I want a bath." She said quietly.

He nodded. "I'll tell them while you're bathing." He said softly. When she nodded, he stood, offering his hands, letting her use them to pull them to her feet. He could see that her muscles seemed weak, as though the struggle in the classroom had worn her strength down. He helped her as far of the bathroom, letting her walk inside by herself and waited till the door was shut and locked behind her before he looked up the hall towards her mother and grandfather. ""Let's go downstairs. She shouldn't have to talk about it." He said quietly.

When they were all gathered around the kitchen table, he bit his lip. "What I said the day we came back, it wasn't a lie. I was distracted from protecting her during a fight. Miroku and Sango were too far away to stop it and Shippou..." He shook his head. "He's just a kit. I got distracted and Kagome...was taken away." He felt the pain and panic welling in him and he forced himself to take several cleansing breaths. "Kidnapped by Naraku." He lifted his gaze, his hands fisted on the table.

Mrs. Higurashi frowned. "Go on."

He dropped his eyes to the table top again. "When...when we finally found her, she'd been gone several days and...Naraku had been torturing her." He closed his eyes, trying to block out the memories, but they were too fresh. He could still smell her blood, her fear, the scent of Naraku all over her. "He'd beaten her, raped her, she was almost dead." He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't. He was a man, dammit. "I was fighting Naraku, and I...I heard her scream. We all did. Miroku said...that he'd tried to soothe her. I killed Naraku when I heard it." He shuddered, lifting his gaze to them. Before he met their gazes, he dropped his eyes again. "I've been taking care of her, keeping her secret ever since. It's been almost a month."

He felt the tumultuous emotions raging through him and pressed the balls of his hands to his eyes. "It's my fucking fault. If I'd been faster, she wouldn't have been kidnapped in the first place..." His breath tore raggedly from his lungs and he fought to keep control of himself. "If I'd been stronger..."

Two arms wrapped gently around his head in a motherly fashion.

His eyes popped wide open and he whimpered. He was used to the comfort Kagome provided, a quiet, calm comfort, but he'd been denied it for so long. This wasn't the same. It was more like when his own mother had tried to soothe the pain caused by the other children his age. Slowly, he turned his face into the woman's shoulder and began to cry. It was the only thing he could do. Gentle hands stroked his hair and ears and he squeezed his eyes shut, his hands curled into tight fists on the table. "It's my fault..." He whispered, ashamed of himself, of his tears, of the fact that he couldn't protect her.

"Inuyasha, I may not be from that era, but I know a thing or two about ass holes."

He blinked, sufficiently startled by the mild woman's use of profanity that his tears stopped. He pulled back, looking up at her in confusion. "What?"

"Even if you were stronger or faster, this...Naraku would have found a way eventually to get his hands on Kagome, because she's the jewels protector, right?" the woman continued to gently stroke his head in a motherly manner.

He eyed her warily. "I..."

"Why are you blaming yourself for what a sick, power hungry bastard did?"

"It's my job to protect her! I failed! I failed her! She's mentally broken because I got distracted and I don't know how to fix it!" He yelled, frustrated. Didn't the woman understand?

"She's mentally broken because someone decided to rape and torture her. Obviously, it worked well on you, too." The woman thumped his head lightly with a fist. "Didn't you ever consider that this might be the very reason that it happened? I'm sure his own demise hadn't quite fit into the plan, but you were supposed to find Kagome, and you were supposed to blame yourself."

It made a sick kind of sense. It sounded just like something that bastard Naraku would do. Couldn't get Kagome and himself to distrust each other, so he had to break them both instead. And if Naraku hadn't died, the jewel would have been forever tainted by Kagome's fear. As it was, the evil taint hadn't quite disappeared. "That son of a..." He curled his hands into tight fists.

The older man looked at Inuyasha dead in the face. "Why did you come with her through the well?"

That distracted him. "She asked me to." He said, as though it should have been obvious.

"I gathered that. Why did you come with her through the well?"

He felt cornered, trapped. It would come out eventually anyways. He looked towards the older woman for help, but she wasn't wearing a helpful expression. "She...asked me to."

"Then why did you agree?"

Kagome appeared at the doorway. "Because he's my friend." She said quietly. "And because I needed him here." She sat down beside Inuyasha, seeing his hands fisted tightly and there were slight gouges in the table's surface. She kept her gaze lowered.

"You should be resting." He chastised, resting a hand on her back, rubbing tender circles on it to relieve the tension he saw there.

She bit her lip. "It's still too fresh." She looked up at her mother, then to her grandfather. "So, now you know." She said hopelessly. The motion of Inuyasha's hand on her back, a firm, steady pressure, caused the tight muscles to slowly unwind. She glanced towards him, then looked back at the table.

"If I'd known sooner, I wouldn't have pushed you to go to school so soon." Her mother said softly. She reached across the hand, resting it on her daughter's. "Why did you tell me?"

Kagome stared at the table top. "I haven't told anyone." Shes said quietly. "The only reason Inuyasha knows is because he could...smell it." She shuddered, feeling a bit dirty again. "And I didn't want anyone to know...I didn't want treated any different than I have been."

The older woman nodded. "Alright, but I heavily encourage you to take tomorrow off from school. Do whatever you want."

She relaxed. "Thanks, mama."

"And I suppose, knowing now what happened, and Inuyasha's role, that it's best if he does stay in your room. I imagine the couch isn't particularly comfortable."

Both teens had the good grace to blush.

"Now scat, both of you, Grandpa and I have to talk, and I need to get dinner started!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kagome spent the rest of the day working on homework, while Inuyasha dozed lightly on her bed. Now and then, her eyes were drawn to his sleeping face and she noticed, for the first time since her ordeal, signs of strain around the corners of his eyes and mouth.

She'd arrived downstairs in time to hear the end of her mother's discussion with the hanyou. Never, not for a single moment, had she considered the psychological effects of what happened to her to everyone else. She was so busy wallowing in grief that she was hurt, how she'd been hurt, that she'd never noticed everyone else was hurting as well.

Inuyasha was suffering right along with her.

He'd sacrificed so much, forced himself to come to an era he wasn't even comfortable in. All because she couldn't deal. He'd set aside his own insecurities, his own emotional issues and had become the rock that she clung to. He'd told a story that hurt him as much as her, just so she wouldn't have to tell it. He'd been acting as an emotional shield.

She abandoned her homework, turning to fully face him as she examined him.

The physical wounds he'd sustained in that final battle had long since faded, but the emotional ones, the ones he hid so well, still hid in his eyes, veiled by concern for her, frustration and anger. Idly, she wondered if Inuyasha had ever felt this guilt that someone would sacrifice so much for them.

She moved to sit beside him on the bed, looking down at his tired face. Her body and mind, the two things that were so terribly raped by Naraku's cruelty, were in a state of constant confusion. So she tuned them out and listened to the one thing that had never lied to her.

Her heart.

Her affection for Inuyasha welled up and she reached forward, gently petting his ears. "You're so strong." She whispered. "I was never this much help when you were hurting..." She felt him twitch and glanced down, seeing his foot kicking a bit in his sleep. Her eyes softened and a reluctant smile turned up the corners of her lips. "What would I do without you?"

He leaned into the ear rub, slowly stirring from his sleep. He was aware that Kagome was talking to him, but the words didn't make sense to his sleep muddled brain.

"I wish I wasn't so scared. I wish I didn't need to lean on you so hard. Then...maybe I could share some of your burden..."

Fingertips ran lightly across his cheeks and he sighed softly.

"But I'm not strong like you. I'm a coward. I always have been." She bit her lip, tears filling her eyes. "And just when I was not so scared...just when I was ready to tell you..." A tear rolled down, splashing on his face. "Why? Why did he do this to me?"

He was sent abruptly back into the world of the conscious when her face was suddenly pressed into his shoulder and he reached up, feeling moisture on his cheek. "Kagome...?" He mumbled sleepily. "Wha's wrong?" He asked, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Why me?" She sobbed softly. She thought he was going to push her away. He couldn't possibly want her hanging on him sobbing like a little twit.

It took some working on his part, but he managed to get into a seated position without dislodging the girl from his chest. When he was upright, he gently pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her torso, trying to soothe her. In his exhausted state, it never occurred that the position might be uncomfortable for her, or the embrace might be unwelcome. He pressed his face into her hair, rocking her back and forth. "It'll be okay..." He said softly, rubbing soothing circles against her back. "I'm here, I'll protect you..." He continued to murmur soothingly against her hair, deeply breathing her scent. After all, he figured he might as well enjoy it now, before his days with her were numbered.

"What about you?" She whispered. She was almost certain that when he stopped moving, he was going to push her away for the implication in that question.

He leaned away from her, tilting her face up gently. "Kagome, what are you talking about?"

"If you're going to protect me, whose going to protect you?" She whispered, refusing to meet his eyes. She kept her eyes focused below his chin, at the place where his yukata crossed over. The boy went oddly silent and she cringed, fearing his temper would explode at the suggestion that he needed protected.

He saw the shy, ashamed expression on her face and his face softened. Tenderly he caressed her cheek, wanting to lean down and teach her how a woman should be kissed. Show her that not every man would mix cruelty with intimacy. He wanted to wipe that fear from her eyes, replace it with love and affection. The things that had once been in her eyes when she looked at him. He wanted to tell her that protecting her was exactly what his heart needed to heal, that seeing her happy would do more than having someone to take care of him. Instead, he forced a cocky smirk on his face and nipped her nose lightly, just a scrape of his teeth against her nose, to draw her attention to his face.

She blinked, looking up at him in shock. He was wearing one of those smirks that turned her knees to jelly.

Thank god she was sitting.

He saw the shocked expression on her face fade to something else and he hooked a finger beneath her chin, forcing her face to remain up, her eyes locked with his. "Let me worry about that." He said firmly. Her lower lip was trembling and there was an unnameable expression on her face.

For a moment, Kagome thought he was going to kiss her. So did he. Their faces slowly drifted closer, both astutely ignoring the screaming protests in their brains. Their eyes began to close, when suddenly, Kagome's mother sounded out a call for dinner from downstairs.

Remembering themselves, and all the reasons that they should _not_ be doing that hit both of them all at once. Kagome scrambled off of Inuyasha's lap and he scrambled in the opposite direction off the bed. Both were wearing matching blushes and they couldn't quite seem to look at each other.

Kagome bit her lip. It had seemed that Inuyasha had been going to kiss her. She'd been almost certain that he'd been going to kiss her. Why would he want to kiss her? She closed her eyes, taking calming breaths. She couldn't think of any reason. She must still smell like Naraku. But maybe he'd been caught up with how much she looked like Kikyou for a minute.

Maybe he just wanted to kiss her.

Yeah, right. Inuyasha didn't like her like that. He never had. His heart belonged to Kikyou, his life belonged to Kikyou.

She wanted to cry.

Inuyasha smelled her melancholy and looked towards her slowly. She looked like she was going to cry. He felt like an ass. Of course she wouldn't want to kiss him. She'd been violated by a demon. A hanyou. He fisted his hands and took a steadying breath. "Sorry." He said quietly. He wasn't sure which he was apologizing for. Not kissing her, or trying to kiss her.

She looked towards him and saw that guilt in his eyes and wondered what he'd been thinking. "Yeah, me too." She said softly, biting her lip. She really wasn't sure what she was apologizing for either.

Another call of 'Dinner' sounded from downstairs and Inuyasha grinned ruefully. "Come on, we should go. Before your grandfather thinks I've eaten you or something." He opened the door for her, seeing the hesitance on her face. "You wont heal without food, wench." He said gruffly. It felt forced. It sounded forced, too.

She nodded, a sigh escaping her. Slowly, she walked from the room and headed downstairs. She really didn't feel up to eating. Her thoughts were depressing her and whenever she ate when she felt like this, the food sat in her stomach like a rock. Midway down the stairs, she felt a gentle hand resting on the small of her back, a comfort. The only comfort she could have, evidentially.

What would it take to make him hers?

All he could ever be was her friend. Her protector. The one who kept an eye on her and fought in her stead because she was too weak to fight on her own. He wouldn't let them get any closer. He never had. Now that she was broken and ugly, he had no reason to. Maybe back when she was beautiful, when she smiled, when she was whole. But not now.

He watched her sit, and sighed, taking his place at the table beside her. She'd seemed down ever since the near kiss. Really, ever since he'd woken from his brief nap. God, it had felt good to hold her, even if it was for such a short time. He wanted to be close to her, to be able to hold her and kiss her without fear, without the worry that it was too soon, that the rape was still too fresh in her mind, that she might well push him away, not want him.

After all, what could he offer her?

He had nothing. Not even a name. He wasn't even whole. Neither human nor demon.

Dinner drug on, with the usual niceties that made him want to tear his hair out. He wanted to go through the well and take a run through the forest, breath the fresh air, work himself into a sweat, feel it chill his skin when he finally stopped.

But he couldn't leave Kagome alone.

He had to get out of here for a little while.

Should he bring her with him?

He nixed that idea immediately. Kagome probably wouldn't want to go back to the time where the memories were even more fresh. That meant that he couldn't go. Dammit.

When everyone had finished eating and began to leave the table, he jumped up, feeling very claustrophobic and headed outside, not going farther than GoShinboku. He closed his eyes, feeling the slight breeze on his skin, tugging lightly at his hair. Out here, the air moved. It carried the scents from farther away, let him smell if anyone was coming.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Kagome voice floated on the night breeze.

He opened his eyes, looking towards her. He forced a smirk onto his face. "I'll live." He said quietly. He wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her. He wanted her to be as much his as he was hers. He watched her walk towards him and saw her frowning a bit. Ah, maybe he was a little too easy to read.

"You were distracted all the way through dinner..." She played with her fingers.

He smirked at the habit that she'd formed recently. Her fingers laced together and pulled apart and laced another way and another and another till he finally grabbed her hands to stop her. It wasn't until she giggled that he realized he'd just done a very Kouga-like move.

He twitched slightly.

She looked up at him, a slight smile on her face, the breeze teasing her hair around her face. She giggled harder when he frowned, adjusting the hold so he didn't look like a complete idiot. "For a moment, I was almost expecting you to ask me to run away with you."

It was closer to the old Kagome than he'd seen her in ages. The soft tease washed over his ears like sweet music. He didn't have to force this smirk. He bared a fang, leaning towards her. "Oh, would you have said yes if I did?" He teased back. He saw her eyes go wide and knew she hadn't expected something like that.

She blushed, fidgeting a bit, but he wasn't letting her go. "I dunno." She said, shrugging. "Maybe."

Now it was his turn to be shocked. He stared at her, then, he started laughing. It felt good to laugh for once. It had been so long. So long since he'd been able to feel so easy-going and light hearted. Since before Kagome had been kidnapped. Since before Kikyou had died.

It felt like forever.

Kagome was torn between wanting to smack him for laughing at her, awe because he was laughing, really laughing, and affection, because even though he was laughing, he hadn't released her hands.

Slowly, the mirth died and he sighed, opening his eyes to look down into her own, mildly amused pair. "Come on, wench." He said gruffly. "Let's get you to bed. I know how you get without sleep." He dropped one of her hands, keeping a gentle grasp on the other one, leading her back to the house.

She watched his back as they moved through the living room, ignored the rude sound that Souta made when he saw them holding hands. She let him lead her up to her bedroom and blinked when he remained outside the door.

"Go ahead and get changed." He said softly, then he closed the door between them.

Kagome stared at it for a long moment, trying to decipher that unreadable expression he'd been wearing. His eyes had gone warm, molten, like honey. His brows had softened from their perpetual scowl, the corners of his lips turned up slightly. She shivered, pulling her favorite night shirt from her drawer, stripping out of her school clothes and then pulled the oversize t-shirt over her head, sighing as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm covered." She announced, watching him enter. She frowned a bit when he froze in the doorway.

He took several breaths to steady himself. Kagome usually wore more clothing when she slept in his time. Technically. Really, the shirt wasn't any shorter than her school uniform shirt. Quickly, he shook the shock that she'd wear something like that in front of him after what happened off and moved into the room, closing the door behind him. He sat in the chair, looking out the window. "Go ahead and go to sleep." He said quietly.

Kagome noticed he was keeping his gaze averted and blushed, realizing that this was kind of inappropriate sleepwear. "S-sorry...I could put on something else-"

He pinned her down with his eyes. "It's fine." He said, his voice a combination of gruff and gentle that made her stomach tie itself in knots. He watched Kagome climb under the covers, waiting till she turned off the light to speak. "Goodnight, Kagome."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_AN: Another chapter gone. Yes, this is two days after the last chapter, before I get any random questions about how long it's been. Yes, it's also been about a month since Kagome was raped. Maybe she's getting over it faster in her time, or maybe talking about it or sharing it with someone acted like a lance to an infected wound. No, she's not out of the pain yet. It's going to get worse before it gets much better. Each chapter will continue to contain the contents of a single day. If the events run over two consecutive days, it will still be in two separate chapters._

_ALSO, PLEASE READ THIS!!!_

_I'm posting this chapter, and it will likely be the last one for awhile. I'm moving back up to NY because my husband is coming home from Iraq. As a result, I'll probably be out of commission for awhile, missing in action, all that jazz. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning this story again._

_Okies, shouts out now...Those who took the time to write me a line or two when I posted last chapter:_

_**Jav-Chan**: I hope that clearing up the time line made it seem less sudden. I really agreed when I read the old chapters. It's why I decided to restructure it anyways. And if I don't finish it, I have the feeling that a few readers really will hunt me down and kill me o.o; Anyways, glad you like it, and we'll see what I can do about that creep Naraku. LOL There may be more angst yet._

_**Kokoronagomu**: Glad you like it. I wrote the original during an exceptionally angsty period in my life, and it was so...well, juvenile and unreal when I read it about a year later that I pretty much scrapped the whole project till now. LOL Being in a long term relationship with a man, it does tend to be like this. Emotional misunderstandings abound. It makes for good chemistry and adds spice to life. I never want to be in a relationship that I completely understand._

_**Roxasandsora**: Thanks, and here...have some tissues. It's going to get worse. Or better. Or both._

_**BlueStone of 22 9er**: Um...okay! 3 Thanks, I think._


	4. THREE

_AN: As I start this chapter, I would like to announce that I have no idea whatsoever who left me reviews and whatnot. But to those who did, Thanks. I'll try to leave notes to you all as usual, at the end of the chapter. I actually had about 4 pages done when I opted to scrap what I'd done up to that point and start over. So, here it is. Enjoy._

_EDIT: My hubby's back from Iraq!! Yay! Happy dance! He's finally home::Cough:: Anyways, enjoy 3_

**WARNING: This story alludes to rape and contains swearing and violence. If you have issues with any of those things, DO NOT READ. I don't want flamed because someone read this not knowing.**

Bringing Kagome Back

By: Demonsaya

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**3**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sun shone through the trees, dappling the red shoulders of his haori. His beautiful gold eyes were gazing towards the horizon, lips pulled down into a slight frown. It pulled deeper as she watched him. "What?" He finally snapped defensively.

Kagome smiled faintly. "Thank you for staying with me." He looked towards her fully, a wary expression on his face.

"It's what any friend would do." He huffed, crossing his arms in an impatient manner.

She bit her lip. "After all this time, that's all you can say?"

"What would you have me say?" He snapped.

Her heart fell a bit, but she soldiered on. "That maybe...I'm helping you as much as you've helped me. That you feel for me like I..." She saw him frown. Her heart began a free fall, but she couldn't stop the flow of words. "I love you, Inuyasha..."

It was like his open gaze turned cold, then it closed off. "You want me to love you."

She blushed. Why did she have to say anything?! Now she'd ruined it. "Only...if you really do." She whispered miserably.

Then he said the words that caused her fragile heart to hit rock bottom and shatter. "Who could love someone that fucked their enemy?" He turned his back to her. "Keh. Foolish little girl with her foolish dreams. I think I'll go to where I really belong. With the woman I really love. Goodbye Kagome." And he left her

"No...No, please...Don't go..." She tried to chase him, but it was like running through warm taffy. "No! No, please, Inuyasha! No! Don't leave me! NOOO!"

"Shit, Kagome, wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open and she found concerned golden eyes looking down at her, his hands on her shoulders, the room still dark. He must have shed his haori at some point during the evening, because it was oddly absent. She shivered, seeing concern and fear in his eyes. "Sorry..." She rasped softly, startled to find herself hoarse. "Bad dream..." She whispered, forcing herself to sit.

Something slid down into her lap.

She blinked, looking down. She reached down, fingering the red fabric. So that's where it had gone.

"I've trying to wake you for almost ten minutes." He said, his fear making him snappish. "Dammit, wench, don't you scare me like that again!" He saw two trails of silver fall down her face and cursed softly. "Shit, I'm sorry..." He whispered, pulling her against his chest.

She turned her face into his neck, breathing his scent, and finally gave into the heart wrenching sobs. Her hands fisted into the haori on her lap and she tried to regain control of herself, but her mind was still weak and her heart was still broken. "Y-you don't h-have to..." She whispered, trying to pull back, but Inuyasha surprised her, scooting beside her on the bed and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, letting her rest her cheek on his shoulder.

"I know that, stupid." He grumbled softly, gently stroking her hair. He badly wanted to lean down, lick the tears from her sweet face, dry her eyes, kiss her sobs silent. He rested his cheek against the top of her head instead and he stared across the room, into the mirror above her dresser. They were an odd pairing, for certain. But they made an attractive couple. Her dark hair and pale skin, and his pale hair and tanned skin. Her modern clothing, his feudal garb. Her human features, his demon ones. Like yin and yang.

Kagome felt his breath stirring her hair and bit her lip slightly. A glance towards the clock told her that the alarm would go off in about an hour. She felt no particular inclination to slip back into her dreams. They'd been growing worse. Now and then, she'd be given a day reprieve from the nightmares, but most often, she'd wake screaming with Inuyasha at her side instantly. It felt good to be held like this by him. Before they'd rarely touched, and almost all of the times they had, she'd initiated contact.

She was very glad her mother let him stay in her room that night.

She felt his chest vibrating slightly and glanced towards the mirror, meeting his gaze. His eyes were soft as he looked at her, but that could have been distortion from the mirror. She lowered her gaze when she felt one of his hands wrap gently around hers. His dark skin contrasted greatly against her pale hand. His thumb stroked the back and she watched that dark slash of skin run across her own.

It broke her heart when he treated her with such tenderness. Especially since she knew he didn't love her. She was simply his friend. But now, those dreams which she'd always been able to follow to a happy, if unlikely, conclusion, had given way to nightmares where reality insisted on breaking her fragile heart further.

Inuyasha smelled her melancholy and hugged her closer against his side, as if through sheer force of will, he could drive her demons away. This was their forth day together in her time, but it almost seemed like she was getting worse. For a bit she'd been better, but this was the second night in a row she'd woken screaming. He was deeply glad that no one had come knocking, considering the volume of her cries.

"I hate sleeping." She said softly. "What good is it if I can't even have my dreams anymore? The happy ones, the ones that gave me hope..." She sniffled softly, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "It's not fair." She felt Inuyasha shift and expected him to leave her for whining.

As was often the case lately, he surprised her by turning towards her and lifting her face so they were looking at each other. "You're right." He said softly. "It's not."

Her lower lip trembled and she was about to burrow into his chest when he tenderly brushed a tear from her eyes. He was wearing another one of those unnameable expressions. His eyes were dark, almost the same color as dark amber, with gold flecks throughout them. He was so beautiful...

"But you'll get your dreams back, and you'll be able to sleep again." He said softly. He leaned forward, unable to stop himself and brushed a soft kiss against her forehead; her skin was warm. He wanted to nose down and kiss her lips, but that would be an unwelcome advance. He was a demon. A demon raped her. A sick, twisted bastard named Naraku raped her. Maybe someday...maybe with the jewel, he could be someone worthy of her, someone whole. Someone who could heal her and be healed by her.

But not now. Not as he was.

Kagome's mind was reeling in shock. Inuyasha's lips were still gently brushing back and forth across her forehead, a definite kiss. A show of affection. She bit her lip, her hands fisting at his chest, her eyes falling closed against her will. He may never love her, but at least she'd have this. She would take every scrap of affection he offered to her and love him more and more for it. Because he hadn't left her. Despite her being damaged. Despite her being touched with violent intimacy by their enemy.

Slowly, Inuyasha pulled back, seeing her eyes closed, her lip caught between her teeth. There was such anguish on her face, he didn't know how to fix it. He did the knee-jerk response and released her face, back-pedaling. "Fuck, I'm sorry..." He backed off the bed and away from her. Her eyes opened, a lost expression on her face. "I shouldn't have..." He swallowed hard, flinching when he saw her open her mouth.

She saw the fear on his face and wondered what he was afraid of. Slowly, she reached up and touched her face where his hands had been, her eyes never leaving him. "Friends...kiss each other like that." She said quietly. It was a half-lie. No friend had ever kissed her forehead. Her mother had done it now and then, her grandfather as well, and she'd done it when Souta wasn't feeling well. Maybe not exactly like it, but who knows, maybe his mother liked to linger, and he'd learned that from her. "Family kisses like that." She looked away, saddened by that thought. A sister. A cousin. A friend.

That's really all she'd ever be.

"Do they?" He asked, eying her warily. She looked depressed. Dammit. He'd fucked up again.

She hummed in agreement, still sitting where he'd left her. He'd leave now. Probably swear up and down that they weren't friends and there was no way in hell they were family.

"Oi, wench..." His voice was a gentle rasp near her ear. "You smell all mopey again." He said keeping his voice low. He felt her shiver slightly and growled faintly. "You should be happy. Today's your day off." He, personally was ecstatic. A full day with Kagome, no shard hunting, hopefully without the rape looming over them like a cloud.

"I wonder if I'll ever be happy again..." She mused, her eyes avoiding his gaze.

She heard a disappointed sigh from the hanyou and felt the bed shift as he stood again. Slowly, she looked towards him, seeing his gaze averted, a neutral mask in place. It broke her heart further. "Inuyasha?"

He looked at her, seeing that she was still shattered. Every time he healed her a little, more of her broke. She was like a jigsaw puzzle made of bone china. So incredibly delicate, fragile. "It smells like breakfast is ready. We're out of herbs, so I should go get some fresh ones..." He saw her sag and desperately wanted to ask her to come with him. He managed to bite back the urge. "I'll be back soon." He promised, then fled her room. Dammit! He should never have kissed her. He'd only wanted to soothe her, comfort her. Instead, he'd made her uncomfortable, upset. She'd smelled of sadness ever since she'd woken and he didn't know how to take it away.

It wasn't fair.

He felt so weak, and he hated feeling weak. When he reached the well, he wrapped his fists around the edge, tears blurring his vision. Dammit...

He managed to regain control of himself and jumped into the well, preparing to dodge the inquiries of their friends. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with it today, but, he didn't have a choice. He needed to get the herbs. He would just be quick about it. Get them and get back to her. Back to the girl he loved, but couldn't have.

He felt the jolt in his stomach from moving five hundred years back in time and landed easily at the bottom of the well. As he headed back towards the village, he pondered what to do about the girl. He seemed to be harming her as much as he was helping her. How does one help ease the spirit of someone when you have no experience on comforting anyone? He wasn't gentle. He was coarse, and he tended to be a jack ass. Especially to her.

He never thought he'd have to regret past actions, but he'd found himself regretting quite a few of his past actions involving Kagome.

He heard several villagers greet him as he walked through the village, and he gave them an easy wave, heading towards Kaede's hut. He pushed the flap aside without announcing himself and found the old woman was alone in the hut. "Oi, babaa." He said softly. "We need more herbs."

The old woman looked up in surprise. "Ah, I was wondering when you'd be back, Inuyasha..." She said, smiling faintly. She got to her feet slowly and began gathering dried herbs that were hanging around the hut. "How fairs Lady Kagome?"

He bit his lip hard. "She's eating. But..." He shook his head. "Not so good, still. Her nightmares are getting worse and more frequent. She had a fit yesterday in one of her classes..."

Kaede saw the worry written all over the hanyou's face. "And you?"

"Huh?"

"You look unwell." She said finally. The hanyou looked like he'd aged about ten human years in the last month. There were dark circles under his eyes, which looked dull and unhappy. "Does her time not agree with ye?"

He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, setting his head back with a violent thump. He didn't know how to answer that. "I feel like hell, babaa." He said finally, which was the truth. "And I'm not helping her." He slid down the wall, putting his face in his hands and scrubbing it with his palms. "She seems to be getting worse. She's not happy. It's like Naraku managed to take everything that was her and break it. And she's so fragile, anything...any wrong word and any help I've done just crumbles away."

Kaede listened to him rant in silence, having paused in her mission. She turned and watched him, solemnly.

"Worse, I...I keep wanting to..." He shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself. "I keep wanting to kiss her, and not the friendly kind." He glanced up, seeing surprise on the old woman's face. "I keep wanting to tell her that...I'm in love with her. But I can't..." He squeezed his eyes shut, biting his lip fiercely.

"Why can't you?" Kaede asked quietly.

Should he tell her? The other's weren't there. They wouldn't know. Not until he was gone. They could blame him then. He took a steadying breath. "Naraku raped her. He raped and tortured her every single day he had her and she's so mentally broken right now..." He shook his head. "Being around me is probably hard enough for her, without me dropping a burden like that on her shoulders..." He said softly.

Kaede's face softened. "I think...that Kagome knowing that she's still lovable, is still loved, would do worlds to ease her broken heart." The woman said, returning to her task.

"I'm a demon, a hanyou! I'm the same thing as Naraku. She'd..." He shuddered. "She'd kick me out of her life in a heartbeat." He looked away with an obstinate expression on his face. There was no way he could tell her something like-

"She loves you as well." The old woman mused quietly. "Why do you think you were the one she asked for help? You were the one who could get her to stop screaming. You were the one who took such care of her since she's returned to us, and you are the one who went to her time despite the fact that it must be painful to your senses." She felt the hanyou's gaze on her and continued moving. "You are the one she wanted to be with when she asked to stay here. Which is why she also asked you to come with her. You both are the foundation for the other."

Inuyasha went very quiet, accepting the bundle of herbs the old woman offered him. He stood in a fluid motion, and headed for the door without a word.

"Inuyasha."

He paused, glancing back at her. There was an unreadable expression on his face. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Do consider what I've told you. I think your love could do her worlds more good than harm."

He nodded shortly, then raced through the forest. When he reached the well, he stared down into it, his heart pounding in his chest. "Kagome..." He whispered. The hag had a point. But there was no way to know for certain. She'd never said the words to anyone as far as he knew. He could almost convince himself he'd heard her shout them when Naraku was trying to use her eyes, but he'd pushed the memory under a pile of emotional baggage and had decided that she didn't love him. Not like he cared for her.

She couldn't possibly care for him.

He was tainted. When Kikyou had fallen in love with him, her powers grew weaker and weaker.

Kagome's seemed to be getting stronger until Naraku had broken her.

He closed his eyes tightly at the memory, his heart hurting. When he reached the well, he dove in without a second thought. When he landed, Kagome's scent hit his nose strongly and he jumped onto the ledge, finding the girl sitting, her back to him. She seemed hunched in on herself and her misery was so palpable, it was more a taste than a scent. He moved behind her, gently resting a clawed hand on her shoulder. "Kagome?"

She spun towards him, hope lighting her eyes. When she saw his face, she seemed to relax. "You came back!" She blurted, hardly believing it.

"Keh, what did you think I was going to do?" He asked in a haughty manner that had nothing to do with how he really felt. He saw the hope in her eyes die and wanted to brutally beat himself for dimming the light in them. He reached out, keeping her from turning her face away from him. How desperately he wanted to wipe that pain from her eyes. He bit his lip and acted on impulse.

He wrapped her in a protective embrace and rested his cheek against hers. "Dummy..." He whispered affectionately against her ear. "I told you. Until you don't need me, I'll stay with you." He smoothed her hair, combing it gently with his claws. "I promise."

Kagome clung to him, her eyes teary. She turned her cheek to rest it against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. "Thank you..." She whispered. It wasn't what she wanted to say, but it would do. It would convey some of the fear she'd felt that morning.

He smiled when she burrowed further into him. It was just until she didn't need him, but if he could, during that time, he'd do everything he could to take the threads of friendship and braid them together between them and turn them into love. Then, maybe she'd always hug him like this. With this tender desperation, like she was glad he'd returned.

He really didn't understand why she'd been convinced he wouldn't.

He would always come back to her. Even when she didn't need him anymore, when she'd found her human mate. Even if she didn't choose him, she was the one he'd always protect.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Mrs. Higurashi was scrubbing away at the morning dishes, taking her periodic glance towards the well house, smiled faintly when she saw the girl embracing the hanyou tightly. Their love would heal Kagome, and she'd no doubt that, in turn, would heal Inuyasha. Discretely, she returned to the dishes, reaching out and picking up the phone when she heard it ring.

"Highurashi residence-"

"Kimiko."

Her voice died and she felt an old pain wrap around her heart. "Toshi." She greeted coldly.

"Kagome's school called me yesterday." His voice sounded positively gleeful. "Something about our baby girl having a fit during one of her classes..."

"A friend brought her home." She said evenly. Toshi never called. Not unless he saw a way to hurt her.

"They are concerned, because she's already missed so much school this year, her grades are slipping." She wanted to slap the grin off his face. If he'd been there, she would have. "There were some implications that she's been cutting out of school, faking illnesses..."

"Kagome got raped." She snarled in fury. "I think she's entitled to a little recovery time."

The line went quiet. "I see. Have you arraigned a wedding to spare the dishonor."

She seethed. "Toshi, I'm busy. Goodbye." Then, she slammed the phone into it's cradle violently. A five minute conversation and suddenly, she was reminded of every single reason she'd divorced the man. She sank into a chair and took a few minutes to calm herself. Once upon a time she'd convinced herself she could change her ex-husband. She'd convinced herself that their 'love' would fix everything that was wrong with either of them.

She closed her eyes, biting her lip. She'd been wrong. Weeks after their marriage, he'd remained domineering, controlling. Still, she'd convinced herself that she could change him.

Finally, almost seven years into the relationship, after the birth of one daughter and during the pregnancy of her son, her husband threw her down the stairs in a drunken rage. That was when she made up her mind to leave him. She'd moved in with her father the day she was released from the hospital and had the paperwork for their divorce written up.

Her father welcomed her back into the shrine with open arms. She'd been broken-hearted, pregnant and tired, but her father had eased her through the pain, and each time Toshi came knocking, he was the one who sent the bastard packing.

She only hoped she could be so strong for her daughter.

She looked up, startled to find Inuyasha and Kagome standing in the kitchen, looking at her. She stood, walking towards the now shrieking kettle; how long had it been doing that? She began filling cups for tea and waited for the inevitable question.

"Mama, are you okay?"

She turned towards her daughter, smiling. She forced a peace onto her features that she didn't feel. "I'm fine, baby. Your father just called."

She saw the same coldness in her daughter's eyes that she'd felt. Yes, her daughter would remember the shabby treatment she'd received.

"What did he want?"

"The school called him about yesterday." She set the three cups on the table and bit her lip, feeling troubled. "I'll call them and have a word with them about that. It's none of his business. I have custody, not him. Legally, they had no right..."

Inuyasha was looking at her with a gaze that made her slightly uncomfortable. The hanyou recently had shown he was far more perceptive than he usually let on. "What did he say?" There was a slightly cold edge to his voice.

He could smell the anger off Kagome, the anxiousness off her mother. He watched the older woman closely as she fidgeted in her seat.

"Don't worry about it." She said softly. She looked at Inuyasha and gave him a warm smile. "I'm strong enough to deal with Toshi. I'm Kagome's mother, and he's never been much of a father. Everything will be okay."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dinner that night was strained.

It didn't help that later that day, Kagome's mother had been served with a court notice. Her ex-husband was trying to gain custody over the kids.

It infuriated Inuyasha that someone could take away a mother's 'pups' as he'd put it and he'd been silently seething. If Kagome was taken away, how would he help her get better? The father obviously didn't know or understand the situation, so there was no way the ripe bastard would let him go with her to protect her.

Kagome had been silent most of the meal. Although she didn't say anything, she was afraid. She could remember one or two times when she was young. Times when her mother was bruised and battered. It hurt her to think about, but at the same time, she was deeply afraid. If her father used her school absences as evidence, he might well gain custody over her. And if he'd beaten the woman he'd married, what would he do to her?

She shivered in fear.

Inuyasha noticed and rested a hand lightly against her back. His hope for a peaceful day with her had gone up in smoke as soon as they received the news that her father had called. She'd been on edge and jumpy ever since. He made a note to stay awake tonight, as it would likely cause nightmares. He felt her lean back into his hand and noticed she'd relaxed a bit.

When dinner was over and they went upstairs so Kagome could work on the homework that was due the next day at school, he took point by the window, watching across the shrine for any movement.

"Why don't you rest, Inuyasha, I'll be okay for awhile-"

He turned slowly towards her, fixing her with a steady look. "Keh, the last time there was trouble and I got distracted from protecting you, you got kidnapped and..." He looked away, feeling a surge of guilt.

Kagome looked at him in surprise. "Inuyasha..." The rather sharp reminder of what had happened caused her to lower her eyes, wrap her arms protectively around herself. "I'll be okay, really-"

"Shut up."

She blinked, looking up at him, stunned. There was a slight impatience on his face and his arms were crossed against his chest as he leaned back against her wall. "Excuse me."

He glanced away, hooking one foot behind an ankle. "I'm not leaving you." He said quietly.

A flush heated her face and she glanced away. There was such conviction in his words, such honesty. It wasn't something she was used to from him. Evidentially it wasn't something he was used to from him either, because she could be horribly mistaking, but there looked to be a slight blush coloring his handsome face. She lowered her face, closing her eyes. That's right. He wouldn't leave her. Not yet. Not until she was better. Then he'd leave and break her heart all-

"You're upset." He accused softly.

Those warm amber eyes were on her again, something she didn't recognize deep inside them. Hidden deep behind concern. She blushed, lowering her head again. "It's nothing, Inuyasha."

"Dammit, bitch..." He grumbled softly. "How am I supposed to help you if you never tell me what's wrong?" There was an exasperated kind of affection in his voice and it caused the blush on her face to spread like wildfire down her chest. A callused hand caught her chin and turned her face up to where those eyes were piercing hers. He searched her eyes for a long moment, Kaede's words from earlier that day running through his head. His eyes moved down her face, resting on those soft, petal pink lips for a moment.

She saw that strange expression on his face again and her breaths quickened. "I-Inuyasha...?" She whispered softly, uncertain as his face drifted closer towards her.

God, he was terrified. What if she hated him for this? What if it was too soon? What if he didn't do it right? What if someone walked in and saw? What if a demon attacked right now while he was distracted? There were a million things that could go wrong, but he couldn't stop himself. She was so warm, and alive, and there was that hope in her eyes again. She deserved to know what a real kiss should feel like and he wanted to be the one to show her.

It had only been a month.

She couldn't possibly want him to kiss her.

He was a demon, like Naraku.

But he needed this. He needed her. He needed to show her that she shouldn't be afraid, that he would always protect her, take care of her.

He brushed his nose lightly against hers, breathing her scent deeply. God, this was insane. He must be crazy. Her scent was making him drunk. The hand that didn't hold her face went to her arm, the thumb gently stroking her skin. So close. Her lips were so close. All he had to do was...

He tilted his face a bit, caressing her lips lightly with his own. He felt her sweet breath rush across his face and released her chin in favor of her hair, slipping his hand into the black silk at the nape of her neck. He nuzzled her lips and face lightly with his nose again before bringing his lips back to hers, brushing against them once again.

"You taste good..." He wasn't certain if he'd said it, but, he felt her hands grab his haori and he felt her shaking like a leaf.

Kagome's eyes fell closed at his words and she felt goose pimples rise across her arms. "Inuyasha..."

He nuzzled her face again, smiling at the breathless way she said his name. He slipped his arm around her, pulling her gently against his chest. He brushed his lips across her forehead, eyes, cheeks, nose, chin, then settled against her lips, catching her lower lip between his and sucking it lightly into his mouth. He was in heaven. He heard her little panting breaths and smiled, licking the lip gently, before releasing her mouth.

Her eyelids felt heavy. It took some effort to open them. When she finally managed, she found him looking down at her with an unguarded expression. That unnameable, rare emotion, one that had been becoming more and more common shown in his beautiful golden eyes. "Why?" That was not what she'd really wanted to say, but it's what came blurting out of her mouth the moment she'd opened it.

He didn't want to answer that question, but if he didn't, he'd hurt her. If he gave her the completely honest answer, he might do more harm than good. So he settled on half of the truth. "Because you needed it and I wanted to."

She blinked, stunned at his answer. It took her several long moments to realize she was still held gently against his chest and she blushed, releasing his haori from the white-knuckled, death-grip she had on it. Gently, she tried smoothing out the wrinkles her hands had made, for no other reason than to avoid meeting his gaze. She was turning the loaded answer over and over in her mind, trying to dissect it, find all the hidden meanings in it, and she was rather failing. What she managed to grasp was that he'd wanted to kiss her. "You mean you..." She looked up at him, completely and utterly floored at the realization.

His hands moved to cup her face. She looked shocked at the idea. "What?" He asked defensively. It probably came out more gentle than he'd intended, because he couldn't find it in himself to release her completely. Her skin was soft, and though he could see the faintest trace of the bruises, not all of the color there was because of them.

God help him, he loved her. He wished he wasn't such a coward, because now felt like the right time. Now was when he should tell her. It was the right time. But the words wouldn't come. Dammit. He saw something in her eyes and bit his lip, unable to read the emotion there.

"You wanted to kiss me?"

He felt a blush crawl up his neck, across his cheeks and into his hairline when she looked up and met his gaze with hers again. Those brown eyes held a kind of wonder. He brushed a thumb over her lower lip and saw her blush darken slightly. Good, he wasn't the only one embarrassed.

Somehow, that made it easier.

"I wanted to show you..." He said softly.

She blinked, suddenly confused. "Show me what?"

He blinked, and sighed, exasperated. "Are you really that dense?" He snapped softly. He didn't put much heat in it. She flinched anyways and he felt awful. Before she could pull away, he grasped her biceps, preventing the movement. "How many times have you been really kissed?" He asked evenly. "How many people have kissed you?"

She slowly met his gaze, seeing that he was anxious, almost fearful. She blushed, looking away. She didn't want to tell him the truth. But he'd smell the lie. "Naraku is the only person whose ever kissed me." She said in a broken way. She didn't want that bastard in this moment, but now he was there. It hurt her heart. The reminder thrust in his face, he'd undoubtedly release her-

"Did he kiss you like I did?"

She blinked, looking at him again. "No, of course he didn't!" She snapped at him. "He hurt me, you know that-"

"Not everyone's going to kiss you like he did, Kagome." He said softly. "That's...that's what I wanted you to see..." He swallowed hard, slowly setting her away from him, so that he didn't make her more uncomfortable than he probably already had. He suddenly felt very uncertain, and all the fear he'd felt before gripped him again. How he wished she was shocked because she wanted him to. A happy, pleasant shock. But that was unlikely.

He looked away, his courage sufficiently depleted.

A tear fell down her face before she could stop it. The confused emotions running through her welled and showed themselves as tears. She was happy, sad, healed and hurt all at once. He couldn't know how much the action of him brushing his chapped lips against hers meant. The tear fell from her face and splashed on his hand.

His face jerked up and a horrified expression filled his eyes. "K-Kagome? No, don't cry!" He felt panic fill him as more tears fell down her face. He reached towards her, then abruptly stopped himself. He didn't know what to do. He had known better! Why the hell did he have to push his luck?! "Please, don't cry! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that." He backed off her bed quickly, heading towards the door, furious with himself.

"Don't go."

The pleading whimper froze him. He turned, seeing fear and worry on her face. Tears still streamed down her flushed cheeks, her brown eyes murky with emotions he dare not read into. He turned slowly towards her, uncertain he'd heard her properly. "Kagome...?"

She looked at him, her brow creased in sadness. "Don't go. You promised..." She lowered her eyes, biting her lip. "Please?" She whispered. "I don't want to be alone..."

His eyes widened and he looked down at her in shock. His heart warmed and slowly he moved towards her. He leaned against the wall, staring out the window, forcing himself back into his more gruff ways. "Fine." He said his voice coming out a little more husky than he'd intended. "Do your homework, wench..."

She blinked, looking towards him. She saw him leaning against the window, his arms crossed, his head turned so he was looking out across the yard once again. Her eyes softened and she smiled a bit, jumping off the bed and walking over to her desk. She picked up her books, quite unable to stop smiling for the first time in a long time.

He'd kissed her.

He'd really kissed her.

Shyly, she glanced towards him, flaming red when she found his gaze on her. Quickly, she looked back towards her books, grabbing a pencil and beginning to work.

Inuyasha watched her as she worked, her face scrunched into that expression of intense concentration, and she worked for no less than two and a half hours, when he heard the faint sound of her snoring and glanced towards her, seeing that she'd dozed off on her books, pencil still lightly grasped in her hand. His face softened with exasperation and he smiled a bit, moving towards her, taking the pencil from her hand and gently picking her exhausted form up. He walked towards the bed, pausing when he felt her arms wrap around his neck and she burrowed into his chest.

His cheeks warmed a bit, but he shook it off, kneeling on her bed and peeling back the covers before easing her onto the bed. As he straightened, her arms tightened and he stared down into her sleeping face, his heart in his throat. She was warm, soft.

Slowly, he leaned down, pressing a yearning kiss against her lips. After a moment, he pulled back, looking down at her sleeping face. "I wanted to kiss you." He admitted softly, brushing her hair back. "But I don't think I could stand it if you were afraid of me..." He rested his cheek on her shoulder, turning his face into her neck for a moment, drawing in her scent. Then, he straightened. "Sleep well, Kagome." He said softly. "Dream happy dreams..."

Then, he pulled away, taking his place in her desk chair, leaning against the wall and watching her as she slept.

_Maybe the old hag isn't as crazy as I thought..._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_AN: Another chapter done. Yay! He actually kissed her! This first kiss has actually moved up two chapters, but notice a difference? No love confession. That's right. Cause the stories not over yet. And yes, I brought Kagome's jerk father back. Jerk 'fiancee' will be in it as well. Will Inuyasha be going to school with Kagome? I eluded to it last chapter, but I haven't decided 100 percent yet._

_Anyways, here's the shoutouts:_


End file.
